Heavy With Many Burdens
by luvsbitca
Summary: Bilbo leaves Thorin and the company following Thorin's words before the BoTFA unaware that he is taking more from their relationship than a broken heart. Months later Dwalin finds Bilbo in need of help in the Shire when he is delivering Bilbo's share of the treasure. He remains in the Shire unaware that he is leaving Ori behind in a precarious situation. Contains mpreg
1. Chapter 1

**Title:** Heavy With Many Burdens  
**Author:** luvsbitca  
**Fandom:** Hobbit  
**Type:** Slash, mpreg  
**Rating:** Mature  
**Characters/Pairings:** Dwalin/Ori, Bilbo/Thorin  
**Warnings/Spoilers:** For the end of the book with my usual twist.  
**Disclaimer:** I do not own anything except a hardcover copy of the book. Everything I write is for my own enjoyment and is not meant to be infringing anything.  
**Summary:** Bilbo leaves Thorin and the company following Thorin's words before the BoTFA unaware that he is taking more from their relationship than a broken heart. Months later Dwalin finds Bilbo in need of help in the Shire when he is delivering Bilbo's share of the treasure. He remains in the Shire unaware that he is leaving Ori behind in a precarious situation.  
**Author's Notes:** Thank you for sra_danvers for the continued support, this is a somewhat belated Christmas present for her. Thank you to ManhattanMom for the great beta. And thank you to nickygabriel for running the hobbitstory big bang over at LJ for which this was written.  
I am having heaps of fun with this so I hope you enjoy. My posting date is May 30 so the last chapter will be posted then. I would love to know what you think.

**Heavy With Many Burdens**  
by Moonbeam

Bilbo curved his hand over the heavy swell of his stomach and attempted to will his children to calm. They had been very active over the last few days, as though they knew that he was stressed. Bilbo looked up at Dwalin again and wished he could go back in time and not have left the house to collect his mail.

"Bilbo," Dwalin said again, eyes focussed on Bilbo's heavy, round stomach.

"Mister Dwalin," Bilbo said, shifting on the bench next to his garden gate, "what are you doing here?"

"I came to check on you."

"All the way from Erebor?"

Dwalin shook his head, eyes stuck on the curve of Bilbo's stomach under his hand. "Balin and I travelled back to the Blue Mountains to accompany Dís and the rest of Durin's Folk to Erebor. I left Balin to check on you."

"As you can see, I am well."

"I can see you are with child."

Bilbo nodded, not saying anything.

"And may I assume my King is to be a father?"

Bilbo wanted to deny it, but he was not the one who had acted badly. "Yes."

"Does Thorin know?"

"Thorin banished me from his kingdom, as you well know, Dwalin."

"He did."

"I left as he bade me to and I have not contacted him since."

"He would want to know about his child."

"He made it clear he never wanted to hear from me again."

Dwalin nodded and pushed open the gate. Bilbo tensed as the dwarf walked towards him but Dwalin just sat down next to him.

"He was angry."

"He was mad with greed," Bilbo said. "The Arkenstone was more important to him that anything else, including me and I do not intend to put my children through that."

"Children? More than one?"

"Violet Gamgee is the most well-known midwife in the Shire and she confirmed my suspicions. Hobbits are pregnant all through the year, from one winter to the following one. I am larger than any hobbit would normally be, even if they were having twins. We think it is because Thorin is a dwarf."

"Dwarves are only with child for three seasons," Dwalin said, staring down at Bilbo's stomach.

"There are no hobbit records of a baby born from different races – all of those are stories that have been passed down through the generations. There is a rumour that one of my Tookish ancestors was the daughter of an elf."

"Dwarves have always preferred to remain beneath our mountains where the gems and metal are. We have long memories and even longer histories of our families. I do not believe that there has ever been another dwarf child born to a parent who was not a dwarf."

Bilbo looked down at his stomach. "One more thing to annoy Thorin."

"I did not say that he would be disappointed by this blessing."

"I am not a dwarf."

"You are Bilbo Baggins of Bag End, songs are sung of you in the halls under Erebor; of your bravery and all that you did for us."

Bilbo glared at Dwalin and struggled to push himself up from the seat beneath him. There was suddenly a large hand on his lower back helping him up. Bilbo took a quick step forward, away from Dwalin's hand and turned around to look at the dwarf.

"You are struggling?" Dwalin asked, voice blank but his face lined with worry.

"My body is not built for the sudden changes that this pregnancy is putting me through," Bilbo said, "I am learning to cope with the changes."

"Do you have assistance?"

"Violet comes to help me and Hamfast has taken a job tending my gardens now that I am no longer able."

Dwalin was silent as he sat watching Bilbo, eyes flickering over the hobbit's body. Bilbo soothed his hand over the swell, where there was movement pressing out against his hand. He realised suddenly that he was being a terrible host.

"Come inside," Bilbo said, turning for the stairs leading up to his doorway. "I will make us some tea and I have a very nice plum cake that I made yesterday."

Dwalin nodded and stood. Bilbo could feel the dwarf at his back as he started to slowly walk up the stairs.

"Sit down, Dwalin, I will bring the tea into the sitting room."

Dwalin did not leave him to it though, following Bilbo through his hobbit-hole to the kitchen.

"Dwalin?" Bilbo asked, turning around.

Dwalin rested his hand on his Bilbo's shoulder and pushed the hobbit into one of the kitchen chairs.

"What are you doing?" Bilbo asked, scandalised – it was not the hobbit way to allow your_ guest_ to do anything in your kitchen.

"Even I can see that you are in pain, Bilbo."

"I am not in so much pain I cannot make tea." Bilbo explained. Dwalin glared at him with a heavy dose of reprimand. Bilbo wanted to stand back up and push the dwarf out from in front of his stove but the dwarf would simply push him out of the way again and he was never going to win against a dwarf of Dwalin's size. Bilbo conceded to Dwalin with little grace.

"Enough that I should be making it for you," Dwalin said. "While you tell me what has occurred since I last saw you."

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	2. Chapter 2

**Six Months Before…**

"Thorin will live," Gandalf said, coming to find Bilbo sitting on the edge of the battlefield.

"Good," Bilbo said, standing. "I may now leave with a clear conscience."

"You are leaving?"

"Erebor is saved, my contract is fulfilled, and Thorin made it very clear he has no wish to see me again. Now that I know he will survive his injuries I shall do exactly as he asked and leave."

"He wanted to speak with you."

"No, I do not wish to be told again that he regrets bringing me on this journey, that I am the most hated of all creatures in Erebor or that he wishes he had never lain with me."

"He said none of that." Gandalf pointed out.

"And yet, it was what he meant with every look he gave me," Bilbo said, securing Sting at his side and tugging down on his waistcoat. "I mean to leave Erebor today, whether I have a companion for the journey or not."

"I shall go with you, Bilbo Baggins," Gandalf said, bending at the waist so that he could look Bilbo in the eye. "I promised to get you home again if I could. I shall secure us transport, I will find you here when I am done?"

"I will not be stepping foot within the dwarf camp."

Gandalf obviously wanted to argue but he said nothing as he turned his back on Bilbo and walked back towards the dwarf camp.

Bilbo sat alone for a long time until he realised that someone was standing behind him. He twisted around to see Ori looking at him with a worried, reluctant expression.

"Hello, Ori."

"Bilbo," the dwarf said, coming forward, "are you coming back to camp?"

Bilbo shook his head. "I am leaving."

Ori looked upset as he sat next to Bilbo.

"You are leaving?"

Bilbo turned around to see Bofur stepping out from behind a tree. He nodded at the dwarf who pulled his hat from his head and sunk down onto the ground with a sigh.

"Why?" Ori asked.

Bilbo looked down at the ground. "Thorin told me to leave. I stayed for the battle and now I am leaving. You have your home back and I am going to go back to mine."

"Bilbo," Bofur began, "you said you might stay."

"You know I cannot; Thorin ordered me out of his sight and now that I can be sure he is going to live I will never again be in his sight."

"He was angry when he said that," Ori said, resting a gentle hand on Bilbo's shoulder. "He will change his mind."

"He does not have the option to simply change his mind. Thorin and I were…"

"We all know," Bofur said, "neither you nor our King is able to keep a secret, or keep quiet."

Bilbo laughed. "He so wanted it to be a secret."

"Are you sure you will not stay?" Ori asked.

Bilbo shook his head. "Thorin might have been mad with Arkenstone lust but that does not excuse his behaviour."

Ori obviously bit his lip to keep from saying anything.

"Very well, it may excuse some of his behaviour but he has made no effort to apologise to me so I will not go back to him; asking for something he does not want to give me."

"Then you are leaving?" Ori asked quietly.

"With Gandalf as soon as he has organised what we will need."

Ori looked at him with sad eyes. "I will miss you, Master Baggins."

"And I shall miss most of the company," Bilbo said, making sure not to see any of the dwarves' reactions to what he had said.

"You saved Erebor," Ori said, "it is not right that you should be banished from the halls you liberated."

"No, it is not," Gandalf said, appearing before them suddenly. "However, we cannot change some things. There are some other dwarves that wish to say goodbye before we leave, Bilbo."

Bilbo looked past him to see the rest of the company, bar Thorin and Kíli who were both injured, standing in the trees. Bard, so much taller than the dwarves, was standing at their back. Bilbo knew that leaving Thorin would be hard but he had been so hurt he had not thought about the fact they he would be leaving everyone behind. They said their goodbyes slowly, the dwarves taking time to tell him how much they would miss him while he did the same. Bard clapped him on the shoulder and offered him citizenship in Dale until the end of his days. Fíli was last however, standing at the back of the group.

"He will miss you too."

"_He_ made his feelings about me very clear, Fíli," Bilbo said, biting back more vicious words. "Wish him a speedy recovery and tell Kíli how much I shall miss him and his false information about dwarves."

Fíli smiled down at him. Bilbo could see that he wanted to say more but the dwarf held himself back verbally while he stepped forward to wrap Bilbo in a hug. "You leaving is a loss that Erebor will feel for the rest of her days."

"Thank you, Fíli, you will be a great king one day."

Bilbo said his final farewell and climbed up into the cart that Gandalf had secured from one of the new Men of Dale.

Bilbo refused to turn back and look at the Company he was leaving behind or the few that had would never say goodbye to.

As they moved through Mirkwood he could feel eyes on him. Once, before the enchanted part of the wood was behind him he saw a blonde head among the trees and he caught a blue eye before it disappeared entirely and he and Gandalf were alone on the road.

The journey back took less time, no orcs nor goblins to slow their way, as this time they did not have to hide anything while they were travelling and could journey along the main roads. Erebor was saved, the battle had raged and no one would care about one small hobbit travelling home with a wizard.

Bilbo began to feel ill as they stopped once more in the lands of Beorn. The wolf-man fed him honey tea to make him feel better and Bilbo was glad that they had had to chance to stop as his stomach was very upset. Finally, they had left Beorn – heading for Rivendell and the elves. Bilbo was excited to see them again though the journey through the mountains was long and rough and he only felt worse the longer they were on the road. He was only thankful that they were not taking the same path that the dwarves had taken when they were attempting to travel without being seen.

Bilbo was unsure how they would get to Rivendell, knowing that the path the dwarves used to escape would not be the same one he and Gandalf took. As they passed over the plains that came after the mountains Bilbo's vision began to swim, the heat of the sun and the rocking of the wagon making his mind cloud. He knew Gandalf was speaking to him but he could not hear anything as the world began to grow dark until all he could see was bright green grass and then…nothing.

He did not wake on a cart but in a sea of white on the most comfortable bed he had slept in since his hobbit-hole. The room around him was the same as the ones he had been in the last time they had been in Rivendell. His stomach still felt tight and uncomfortable as he looked up at the wooden beams in the roof above him.

"Hello, Bilbo Baggins," a soft, feminine voice said, forcing Bilbo to turn towards the window. A young elfish maiden was standing near the window pouring out a glass of water.

"Hello," Bilbo said, voice rough from disuse.

"Arwen, daughter of Elrond, Elf of Rivendell."

"We made it?" Bilbo asked, with relief.

"You arrived late yesterday morning," Arwen explained, handing him the glass of water. "You were unconscious at the time."

"I felt very poorly on the journey."

"As so often happens in the first stages of pregnancy, especially when you have not been eating well, nor taking care of yourself as you might in your hobbit-hole."

"Pregnancy?" Bilbo asked, feeling suddenly light-headed.

"Yes." Arwen look down at him and the smiled softly. "That explains your health, you were not aware you carried a child?"

Bilbo shook his head.

"Gandalf said you came directly from the Lonely Mountain, could we assume the father is a dwarf?"

"Yes."

"Would you like me to have a rider sent out with a message to him?"

"No."

Arwen smiled softly but did not comment. "Could you eat some food? You need to regain some strength, Master Baggins."

"I will eat whether I feel hungry or not," Bilbo responding, his mind back before the battle, in Lake-Town, when he lain with Thorin. Or perhaps it was later when they were in the belly of Erebor in the short peace between Smaug's death and the battle. It could not have been the cold nights between Beorn's house and being taken by the Elves of Mirkwood – Bilbo would have known if he had been pregnant for that long.

Arwen smiled at him with encouragement before gliding from the room.

Bilbo shoved the covers off his body as soon as she was gone, yanking up his sleeping shirt until he could see his abdomen. It was flatter than it had ever been in his life after the long journey to Erebor. The skin was still pale, covered in a sparse mat of honey coloured hair. Bilbo could not see anything different about his body, nothing to indicate that he was carrying the child of Thorin Oakenshield; that he was carrying a dwarf's child – he had not even thought it possible. Bilbo pushed the shirt back down and collected up the covers. He would wait until there was not an elf on her way back before he gave it anymore thought.

He was not left alone until after that night had turned midnight black but he had eaten and consumed a sweet drink that the elves said would help him regain his strength. They had finally left him alone when he had feigned sleep. He could not sleep though; his brain would not leave Erebor and the last words that Thorin had said to him. Thorin had looked at him with such betrayal, such hate, that Bilbo had physically felt it even if Thorin never lifted his hand against the hobbit. He knew how important family was to the dwarf – the way had talked about his sister, the way he protected his nephews. Bilbo assumed Thorin would want to know about his child but he would not go crawling back to a dwarf that hated him.

Bilbo pressed his hands into his abdomen and told himself not to think about the stupid dream he had been ignoring since he had heard the word pregnant. The idea of going back to Erebor, going back to Thorin, and having the life he had allowed himself to expect before the dragon and the Arkenstone, before Thorin had told Bilbo to leave and never return. Bilbo threw off the covers and swung his legs off the bed. He walked over to the window so that he could look out over Rivendell. He put his hands on the window sill and leaned out; remembering how badly he had wanted to see elves when he was younger. There had been talk of elves passing along the very borders of the Shire when Bilbo had been very young. He had not seen them but he had always been fascinated and his mother had told him stories of the elves as bedtime tales. His father had encouraged him not to be so fanciful, though it was not until his mother's death that Bilbo stopped wishing to leave his safe hobbit-hole.

"Bilbo Baggins of Bag End."

Bilbo span around quickly, hand pressed to his chest as he stared at the blonde elf standing in the doorway. She looked like she was glowing and Bilbo blinked at her trying to calm his thudding heart.

"I do apologise for startling you, Master Baggins, I saw the light in your window."

"Would you like to come in?"

"I do not believe we have met before, Bilbo Baggins, you snuck away with the dwarfish company before Gandalf could introduce us."

"Galadriel?" Bilbo asked.

"Yes," she said, smiling at him serenely.

"Why are you here?" Bilbo asked, not sure why such an elf would have come to see him.

"Mithrandir was right about hobbits," Galadriel said, stepping into the room more completely. She smiled down at him. "You are the most extraordinary beings."

"We are hobbits," Bilbo said proudly.

"You are a hobbit, and you travelled from the safety of the Shire. Much attention has been paid to your journey, Bilbo Baggins, we cannot know what ripples shall be created throughout Middle Earth now that Thorin, son of Thráin, has reclaimed Erebor. Smaug masked a darkness far more insidious than dragon's fire and now that the mountain is once again bathed in light we must watch to see where darkness will hide."

"What darkness?"

"Something which dares not have a name, something which we have feared returning for many a long year. Pray we are wrong, Bilbo Baggins."

Bilbo felt something settle in his stomach.

"You have once again proven hobbits to be amazing beings, just as Mithrandir has told us more than once. I wished to meet you, Bilbo Baggins, and see the hobbit that helped to shape the future."

Bilbo flushed.

"I think we shall meet again. Perhaps when you have given birth to a blessing of Aulë."

Bilbo could not resist putting his hand on his abdomen and smiling at Galadriel. "Do you have children?"

"You were nursed by my granddaughter earlier today."

Bilbo opened his eyes wide in surprise. "Arwen is your granddaughter?"

"I have been blessed by Aulë too."

"I do not know what to do," Bilbo said suddenly.

Galadriel looked at him questioningly. Bilbo did not know why he felt like telling the elf everything but he had a feeling she would not judge him for his fears, for his indecision.

"Thorin demanded that I leave Erebor. I know that he would want to know his child but he was gold mad, I do not know what the Arkenstone is but it has a power over him and I will not go back there if he is still under its spell. I could not allow a child to be second place to a stone."

"Then you have made your choice to return to the Shire."

"Yes."

"Then I think you should sleep, Bilbo Baggins, it is long past the apex of the moon and you need rest."

Galadriel smoothed her hand over his cheek and Bilbo nodded, suddenly tired, he walked to the bed and crawled between the covers. The room grew dark around him as he sunk down into the soft bedding.

"It was good to meet you," he mumbled sleepily, "I have heard tales of you, White Lady."

"Goodnight, Bilbo Baggins of Bag-End."

"Goodnight," Bilbo said, but his eyes were already closed and he was asleep before he had finished speaking.

They had stayed in the Elfish town of Rivendell until Bilbo once again felt strong enough to travel. He did not see Galadriel again but Arwen was his companion while he remained in Rivendell and he grew to love her more than even his own hobbit cousins. She was the one thing he would truly miss about leaving Rivendell for his hobbit-hole in the Shire.

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	3. Chapter 3

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Bilbo accepted the tea from Dwalin with a smile.

"Are these chairs comfortable enough for you, Bilbo? Or, should you move into the sitting room?"

"Sitting room," Bilbo said, "there is a cake under the ceramic cake cover, the one with elderflowers, you could bring some in."

Dwalin nodded and watched Bilbo struggle to stand, one of his small hands supporting the weight of his stomach until he was all the way up and walking slowly out of the room. Dwalin vaguely remembered where the cutlery and plates were located from his night here before the quest. He carried the cake into the sitting room and sat down across from Bilbo already knowing what he needed to do. Once the hobbit had a piece of cake he went back to his story.

"Gandalf and I had an elfish escort to the edge of their lands and then we travelled the rest of the way to the Shire alone. When I arrived my cousins, those horrible Sackville-Baggins, had auctioned off almost all of my possessions and were planning to move into Bag End. Gandalf helped me to put the fear of a wizard in them and they brought back almost everything that they had sold. My father's grandmother's silver is still missing but I think Lobelia Sackville-Baggins has it. She always had her eye on that silver. Grandmama was her husband's grandmother as well but she liked my father better. Once my hobbit-hole was mine again and I had most of my possessions back Gandalf left. It was not until after Gandalf went back to doing whatever it is he does when he is not encouraging marches, that my pregnancy became so visible. It is not the hobbit way so I can only assume that it is the children's dwarf blood. I have been the talk of the Shire since I left apparently. My pregnancy is the newest topic of conversation."

"The other hobbits have been treating you badly?" Dwalin asked, even more sure that he could not leave Bilbo than he had been when he realised that the hobbit was not coping well with a dwarf pregnancy, at least not physically.

"Hobbits entertain their neighbours by being fodder for gossips and are entertained when their neighbours return the favour."

Dwalin sighed and sank back into the chair. "I will see what I can do about your silver while I am here."

"You do not need to do that."

"I have also come with a portion of your earnings from the journey to Erebor; as much as I could carry."

"You did not need to do that either," Bilbo said, "I assumed I would not receive any of the fortune when I left Erebor. Especially given that Thorin kicked me out of his kingdom."

Dwalin debated telling Bilbo how displeased Thorin had been when he discovered that Bilbo had actually gone back to the Shire. That he had been in a bad mood for six months that could not be accounted for by the injuries he was still recovering from nor the slow progress on the damage done to his mountain by Smaug. He wanted to do the right thing for his King, tell Bilbo and hopefully get the hobbit back to the Lonely Mountain and her lonely King – even if he would not admit to missing the hobbit. However, Dwalin was more concerned with the hobbit's health.

"Thorin was disappointed that you were gone when he was finally able to leave the healer's tent."

"Thorin was the one who asked me to leave," Bilbo said, face getting darker.

Dwalin nodded once and decided not to mention it again until Bilbo was less angry with Thorin; if he ever was. Dwalin knew he needed to stay, he wanted to go back to Ori, but if anyone was going to understand what Dwalin had to do it was Ori. The younger dwarf might not agree that Dwalin was doing it to protect and help his King but Ori was convinced that Dwalin was softer inside than he was on the outside. Dwalin was unsure why the younger dwarf was so convinced of his goodness. He would never argue though, so long as Ori wanted to be in Dwalin's life and chambers.

Dwalin was not, however, sure how to convince Bilbo that it was the right idea. But then, Dwalin had never been good at asking for permission when he knew that something was the right thing to do. They had their tea and Dwalin cleaned up while Bilbo fell asleep on a chair. Dwalin slipped on his jacket and left the house silently.

He made it back to the dwarf caravans just as the moon was getting to its apex.

"Brother," Balin said, walking over to him with a bright smile on his face. "How is young Master Baggins?"

Dwalin looked around them and then tipped his head to the woods that surrounded the caravans. Balin nodded and walked with him.

"What is it, brother?"

"Bilbo is pregnant," Dwalin explained.

"Thorin's," Balin said, no question in his voice.

"He told me a little of hobbit pregnancies and they are much longer and different to dwarf ones. I could see that he struggles."

"You plan to stay," Balin said, voice full of sudden understanding. "What about Ori?"

"If there was ever a dwarf to understand why I need to stay, it would be Ori."

"Aye."

"If I write a note…"

"I will see that he gets it. I will have someone collect your things and secure them to a pony."

"Send another rider with me that can return the pony to the caravans."

"Keep the pony," Balin said, clapping his hand to Dwalin's shoulder, "for when you return to Erebor."

"Thorin can use that pony."

"Thorin has enough ponies," Balin said. "Now, write to your Ori."

Dwalin nodded and they walked back to the camp. Dwalin sitting to write Ori a note while his brother, ever organising him, went to gather the few belongings and clothes he had brought with him for the journey to collect his King's sister and the rest of the Dwarves of Erebor.

Dwalin froze when the area around him grew quiet. He looked up to find Dís walking towards him. The dwarves she passed looked at Dwalin, knowing she was on her way to see him.

"Dwalin."

"Dís."

She smiled at him in the same way she always had when she was a young dwarf – before her father's and husband's deaths. "You are planning to stay in the Shire?"

"Yes."

"Will you tell me why?"

"It is not my news to tell."

Dís nodded. "I will make sure my brother knows where you have stopped."

Dwalin smiled at her and remembered the young female dwarf who had followed he and Bifur around when they had been training for their coming of age trials. Bifur had gone on to be a spectacular toymaker and Dwalin went to the Royal Guard. She was still as tenacious and incapable of minding her own business as she had been as a child but she was also the dwarf who had kept Thorin's dwarves going through many long years in exile. He had a feeling she knew more than she should about their journey to Erebor and what had happened between Thorin and Bilbo.

"Your caravans will be safe without me."

"They certainly will," Dís said, her voice telling him that any trouble they might encounter would be dealt with swiftly by her and the tip of her sword.

Dwalin felt no guilt in leaving Dís alone to make the remainder of the journey. He only regretting leaving Ori's mother without having made a good impression.

"Do you need anything for your stay in the Shire?" Dís asked.

"No, thank you."

"At least you will still live underground," Dís said, standing up and resting her hand on his shoulder. "We will miss you in Erebor."

"The war is won," Dwalin reminded her. With no war they would not need a warrior – at least not until the next enemy came to Erebor's doors.

"It is. Goodbye, Dwalin," Dís said, turning to walk away. When she was a few steps away from him she stopped and looked around. "Dwarves, prepare yourselves; we leave at dawn."

There was a sudden flurry of activity that Dwalin all but ignored while he tried to think of what to tell Ori without actually revealing Bilbo's secret. He made two attempts before he wrote something that he was happy with and sealed it to give to Balin who was standing next to a fine pony weighed down with both Dwalin's possessions and things Balin had decided his brother could not go to the Shire without. Dwalin clapped his brother on the shoulder and pulled him into a tight hug.

"Take care of Ori," he said quietly, before he pulled back.

"I will, take care of our hobbit."

"I will."

Dwalin took a hold of the pony's rein and hefted himself onto its back.

"I will send crows for word when we arrive in Erebor."

"And this is for Ori, take care around his brothers."

"I have never said how much I like Ori."

"That means a lot."

Balin smiled at him and said goodbye, turning away and leaving before Dwalin had set the pony off. He could understand, they had been all the other had for many years and being apart was not something either he or Balin liked. Dwalin set off again towards Bilbo's house remembering the last time he had made the journey – back when he thought including a Halfling in their company was a ridiculous idea. He knew better now. He hitched the pony near Bilbo's hobbit-hole where she could not destroy too much and then he stood in front of the green door – shoulders heavy with his belongings – and knocked on the door. He could not hear anything for a few moments and then he caught a shuffling sound on the other side of the door. A few moments later the door swung open slowly, revealing Bilbo.

"Dwalin?"

"Master Baggins," Dwalin said, dropping into a bow. "Dwalin, at your service."

The hobbit smiled at him. "Why are you back?"

"I am staying in the Shire," Dwalin told him. "May I stay with you?"

Bilbo frowned at him but stepped back allowing Dwalin to walk in. "You were travelling back to the Lonely Mountain."

"I found cause to stay."

Bilbo shook his head at Dwalin. "I do not need you to stay here with me, Dwalin, you are needed in the mountain."

Dwalin shook his head. "The Mountain is won; the Men and Elves are almost allies. I am no longer needed. Balin is the scholar."

Bilbo closed the door behind Dwalin and started walking away. Dwalin followed behind him and they stopped in the doorway of a bedroom.

"This is one of my spare bedrooms, Dwalin, make yourself at home. I was just making dinner, are you hungry?"

Dwalin put down the items he had been carrying on the foot of the bed and turned to look at Bilbo.

"I hope you know more about dwarf pregnancies than I do," Bilbo said, turning from the room. "I am making fish for dinner."

"I like fish," Dwalin reminded him.

"You should unpack," Bilbo said. "If you are going to be staying."

Dwalin watched Bilbo walk away and then turned to his belongings. He unpacked as quickly as possible so that he could go out and help Bilbo.

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	4. Chapter 4

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They ate dinner in near silence while Bilbo snuck looks at the dwarf across from him. While he had been travelling back from Erebor he assumed he would never see another dwarf in his life. He would not like to admit anything to Dwalin but he knew he needed help, would need more if his pregnancy went as long as most hobbits. Bilbo had been a well-respected hobbit until he left with the dwarves. Now he was _that strange hobbit who had gone on an adventure_, and many of the people he had thought friends no longer came to his hobbit-hole for tea. The Gamgees had been his closest friends since he had been a very small hobbit and they had never cared that he had left. Violet had even told him she was proud, and more thanthat, his mother would have been proud of him too. They had been the only real support he had had since he had returned. And even if some of the other hobbits may have warmed back up to him the knowledge of his pregnancy with half-dwafish children was another example of his strangeness.

Bilbo had never had much time for silly hobbits and he had even less now after seeing some of the world. He did not make his disdain for them a secret and he knew that did not help him. As a result, he ended up without many other hobbits to help him. He would never ask, barely liked to talk to, the Sackville-Baggins though he had the Brandybucks and Tooks on the other side of the Brandywine River. Most of the Brandybucks and Tooks were either younger or older than him and he had always felt in the middle when he had been younger. He and Drogo had been close for many years until Bilbo had decided that his hearth was more exciting than adventures. They had reconnected since Bilbo had come back full of stories with dwarfish mithril-mail and a sword that would glow in the presence of orcs – not that there were any orcs in the Shire or ever would be.

Bilbo had thought the dwarves lost to him as well. If Thorin had not banished him he would have returned to Erebor. If Thorin had not banished him he might never have returned to the Shire, except perhaps to collect some of his belongings. However, Thorin _had_ banished him, had broken Bilbo's heart over a gem and Bilbo would never return to Erebor now. Dwalin had been a surprise, and a terrible one. Dwalin had always been completely loyal to his King and since Thorin had no direct heirs the news of Bilbo's pregnancy would be even bigger news than it was here in the Shire.

The sight of Dwalin at Bilbo's front gate was the end of his hope to make it through his pregnancy and the birth of their children – Drogo suggested he call them dwobbits since they were both dwarves and hobbits but Bilbo would call them his children until he could make a decision about how much he would tell them of their father. If Thorin would not welcome Bilbo back into Erebor then he could not welcome his dwobbits. Bilbo shook his head, Drogo had made him start thinking of the babies growing – too fast for hobbits, inside of him as dwobbits already. His dwobbits had a right to know both of their fathers but he would not introduce them to a father who could not forgive their hobbit father for trying to save his kingdom; Bilbo could not even bear thinking about the hurt they would feel. Thorin was not a forgiving soul – he had proven that time and again and Bilbo feared he would paint their children with the same brush he had used to break Bilbo's heart. He would wait until they were old enough to understand the rejection if it came – wait until he could prepare them in case.

Dwalin's appearance had made Bilbo suddenly, terrifyingly, aware of how easily he could lose the comfort he had found since he had left Erebor. Dwalin, in his dwarfish clothes, with his battle hammer at his side was a stark reminder of Thorin and the pain Bilbo had been attempting to ignore for the last six months. He could not have lied to Dwalin about who the dwobbits' father was but he had told the truth with a heavy heart. When Bilbo had woken up he knew Dwalin had left for the dwarfish caravans and soon Bilbo would have to deal with a stubborn, infuriating, opinionated dwarf King. Bilbo had been scared as he sat on his chair and looked out at the darkening skies but more than that he had been…looking forward to seeing Thorin again. He did not want to see the King and be reminded of the pain he still felt but he missed Thorin. He missed Thorin so much the pain was almost worth it if it would bring the dwarf to him.

Bilbo smoothed a hand along the curve of his stomach and looked at Dwalin who was trying hard to use the hobbit sized fork even though it was not collecting enough food for the warrior dwarf. "Have you sent word of my pregnancy to Erebor?"

"No," Dwalin said, putting the fork down at looking at Bilbo. "I told Balin but there is no dwarf more capable of keeping a secret."

"Why?"

"It is not my secret to tell. I think Thorin should know that he has children but I will not tell him for you."

"I will tell him," Bilbo explained, "I just do not want to have them treated as I was by a King who does not possess the ability to see beyond his own beliefs, beyond his own thoughts and decisions. He is incapable of seeing anyone else's opinion or respecting the reasons that someone else may do something even if it is to stop him going to **war**!"

Dwalin looked at Bilbo with surprisingly soft eyes.

"I am sorry, I will try not to say negative things about your King."

"He behaved poorly," Dwalin admitted. "I have never seen him so affected by a gem. I have seen dwarves lost to gold lust before but nothing like that."

"It happens to a lot of dwarves?"

"It happens occasionally."

Bilbo frowned at Dwalin. "I have never heard of gold lust before."

"Men call it greed, we love nothing like we love the metal and gems that we mine for."

"Not even your family, or friends, or the people you marry."

"We mine for them so our love of metal and gems is a love of our bondmates and families."

Bilbo dropped his gaze from Dwalin and focussed on the fish still on his plate while he thought about Dwalin's words. He tried to imagine mining for gems and metals but was it so different to his gardens, the farms his family owned that feed a large number of the hobbit houses. His own gardens that filled his table and larder. He loved his garden. His farms and gardens fed his family, earned the money that bought cheese from the cheese makers, fish from the fishermen, barrels of ale from the publicans, and all of the other things that he did not make himself. Bilbo tried to compare that to what the dwarves did beneath the ground. But then Bilbo was distracted by another thought.

"Dwalin, how do dwarves get their food?"

Dwalin looked at him with surprise. "We buy it."

"From?"

"The farms of Dale mainly but also the Men of Lake-town. We make some things ourselves. Farin, my grandfather kept bees which he used to make honey and mead. Óin, son of Gróin, continued to keep the bees and make mead. One day he shall have hives again and he shall once again sell it as far away as Ered Mithrin and the Iron Hills."

"I did not know that about him."

"He felt the loss of his bees most dearly and resolved to never speak of it again until he could have them back. I only know because of Balin."

"Will he get the bees?"

"He has been spending his sleeping hours rebuilding the hives after spending his working hours helping to rebuild Erebor."

"And everyone else?" Bilbo asked, suddenly desperate to know more about the dwarves he had spent so much time with.

"Balin is one of Thorin's Elder Advisors, as he has ever been, and in charge of the negotiations between Erebor and Dale while the Men there also rebuild their farms and the town. It is going to be a long process but we now have enough rooms to house the remainder of the dwarves that had been living in the Blue Mountains. The conditions are not ideal but the more dwarves we have the more work that can be done. The fires have been restarted and Bofur is leading many of the dwarves in mining while Bifur has returned to making toys and Bombur fine jewellery. They intend to travel selling their goods to remind everyone that the Durin's Folk of Erebor are the most skilled dwarves in Middle Earth."

"I am sure you are."

Dwalin's face fell. "It is a shame you never saw us when we were at our strongest."

Bilbo nodded. "It is."

"Kíli and Fíli have been doing as much as they could to assist Thorin while the King recovered. Kíli recovered from his injuries quickly – the gift of youth and he and Fíli have been forging the relations with the Elves of Mirkwood. Thranduil is still not allowed within Erebor's walls but his son Legolas and that redheaded she-elf have visited a number of times."

"Tauriel," Bilbo told him.

"You know her name?"

"I do, I am surprised you do not."

"Kíli was smitten with her for a time."

"I am sure Thor…" Bilbo trailed off, the smile fading.

"He was not pleased," Dwalin said quickly, covering the awkwardness quickly.

Bilbo smiled at him in thanks. "What changed?"

"She is not all that she first appeared. Kíli is young and she saved his life."

"In Lake-town."

Dwalin nodded. "Fíli and Balin have been doing much for Erebor. Glóin in once again in charge of the great fires of Erebor – they are larger than the ones he maintained in the Blue Mountains but he is doing a fine job and he waits for his wife and son with little patience. Though he does not work alone, Óin of course works with him. Though one day he will tend to his bees to the exclusion of work within the mountain as our Grandfather did before him. Nori has found a use for his less trustworthy talents in dealing with the Lord of Lake-town while Dori is negotiating a number of treaties with the dwarves of the Blue Mountains, and the Men around us for food. And my Ori…I mean, Ori is-"

"Your Ori?" Bilbo asked, interrupting.

Dwalin smiled. "We do not speak of it but he is mine as I am his."

Bilbo wondered why Dwalin would stay here with him if he had something better to return to in Erebor. Bilbo had seen the way Ori had looked at the warrior dwarf and the way he blushed so rosily when Dwalin would look at him. Bilbo could not say he was surprised that they were together now, in fact, it warmed his heart to know they had managed to find their way to one another. He was too curious about Dwalin's reasons for staying to resist asking him. "Why would you stay here when you have him to return to?"

"Ori will understand that I was needed here while you are pregnant and require help. He will wait for me to return to him."

Bilbo smiled. "I am sure he will however I do not understand why you would not go home."

Bilbo could see Dwalin fighting with himself over what to say and he waited, hoping that the dwarf would decide to simply be honest with him. Then Dwalin began to speak. "When I saw you again I knew that you did not look well, now having seen you more I can see that you are in pain, that you struggle with the strain that a dwarf baby will place upon you. We are larger, heavier, stronger than hobbits and you do not know what will come. I saw that my friend needed my help and I offered it. Ori tells me that I am a good dwarf and I wish that to be true so I shall do what I can to prove him right."

"It is not because the child is Thorin's?"

Dwalin looked down at the plate on the table. "You are my friend but I will not deny that I feel that I should protect you and your child if Thorin cannot."

Bilbo felt the flash of pain and anger he was familiar with make his flesh hot but he pushed it down and away so that he could discuss this sensibly with Dwalin. "Thorin cast me out, he would not protect me if he were here."

Dwalin shook his head sadly. "Then I will."

Bilbo could not help smiling at Dwalin softly. "Then I welcome your help."

Dwalin smiled at him and they returned to a quiet meal.

Later, while Bilbo was sitting at the table and drying dishes he realised that he had not heard anything about Ori. He and Bofur were the two dwarves Bilbo had felt the closest to after Thorin…though perhaps they should be before the Dwarf King. "You did not finish telling me of your Ori."

Dwalin's head ducked down and Bilbo knew he had embarrassed the dwarf, he started to speak after a few moments anyway. "Ori was tasked by Thorin to document our journey, to repair the damage done to the Great Library of Erebor and to be the mountain's historian when that job is done. Ori is very pleased with the position – it is a great honour."

"And it suits him very well," Bilbo said, smiling.

"I believe he would remain in the library all the hours of the day if he were allowed."

"But you do not let him?"

Dwalin's face darkened for a moment and then he shook his head. "We spend time together of course but his brothers do not know of our relationship. Ori wanted me to ask his mother in the traditional way – it is why I volunteered to go and collect the dwarves from the Blue Mountains. I had hoped to win her favour before we returned to Erebor."

Bilbo felt his stomach twist, knowing that he was the reason that Dwalin would not have an opportunity to prove himself to Ori's mother.

"Ori knows what he wants," Dwalin said, brushing aside the possibility that he might not receive Ori's mother's blessing. "I know Dori does not like me, not that he would like anyone for his brother and Nori has been arrested by me too many times to think I would be a good match for his baby brother. Nori may not be as obviously protective of Ori as his brother but only because he hides it better."

"So you really hoped to be able to convince Ori's mother? You should not worry, Dwalin, anyone who knows you would support your relationship, you must know that."

Dwalin looked down at his food for a moment.

Bilbo frowned at him. "You could surely catch the caravans if you left now."

Dwalin's head shot up and he stared at Bilbo fiercely. "I may worry for his mother's favour but I have no worry over Ori's. If he were here he would agree that spending time here helping you was the more important task."

"Did you tell him I am pregnant?"

"No, I told him that you needed help and that I would explain everything when I returned to the mountain."

"You did not trust him with the secret?"

"I did not trust his brothers not to find the letter and read it."

Bilbo could not resist laughing at Dwalin, knowing that it was true. "Thank you."

Dwalin inclined his head. "I am here to help."

"I did not hear you talk this much while we were travelling to Erebor," Bilbo said, finishing the last bite of his food.

Bilbo almost missed the soft smile on Dwalin's face. "I was a talkative dwarfling, Ori and I have spent much time talking since we reclaimed Erebor."

Bilbo smiled at Dwalin widely. "I normally spend my evenings after dinner reading, there is a pub on the Bree road that is used to visitors from outside with a number of quite lovely bitters, if you would like something more exciting. I do have a keg of pale ale in the pantry if you would like something else but I have not stomached anything since I returned to the Shire and keep it only for my cousin Drogo."

"I shall sit with you before the fire. Tonight will be my first night in a real bed since I set off from Erebor and I am tired."

Bilbo smiled at him and pushed up from the table.

"I will come in once I have cleaned the dishes," Dwalin said, standing and collecting both of their plates.

"You do not need to do that."

"You cooked, and I am here to make things easier for you, Bilbo."

"I have been a single hobbit for a very long time, Dwalin."

"You will not be alone for much longer, not with little ones under foot."

Bilbo could not resist smiling even if he had wanted to, he had thought children were something he would never have and the longer he was pregnant the more excited he grew even though he was struggling with pains and aches that were unusual. "I look forward to it."

"I am glad," Dwalin stood over Bilbo and looked down at him with a soft smile. "You should go and find your book."

Bilbo nodded and struggled to stand, pushing against the table heavily. He left Dwalin to clean up even though he did not like take advantage of a guest. He knew he needed to push down his hobbit manners and think of Dwalin as something other than a guest. Bilbo collected the book he was currently reading and settled himself before the fire.

Bilbo had not realised how long he had been sitting before the fire when suddenly Dwalin dropped another log on the flames making them spit and startling him from his book.

"Sorry, I did not intend to disrupt you," he said, settling a cup of tea on the table next to Bilbo with two biscuits balanced in the saucer. "I thought you would like a cup of tea."

"Thank you." Bilbo put the book down on his lap and turned to look at Dwalin.

The dwarf smiled at him and folded himself down into the other chair Bilbo had before the fire. Dwalin settled down and pulled a knife from his boot before he started to whittle at a log from next to the fire. Bilbo watched him for a moment and then returned to his book.

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	5. Chapter 5

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Dwalin woke before Bilbo every morning. He had been in the Shire for three weeks and the hobbits around Bilbo's hobbit-hole had finally stopped gawking when Dwalin went out for a morning walk. Dwalin had always enjoyed the fresh air and he would spend his walks every morning thinking about Ori and wondering what the younger dwarf was doing. Ori had always been a later sleeper, preferring to remain snuggled in his bed until he absolutely had to get up. They had not been public with their relationship but Dwalin, being in charge of the mountain's security, knew about the secret passages within the mountain – including the one that lead from the library to the Royal Rock Gardens. Before Ori, the moment Dwalin woke up he was also out of bed – ready to start the day and see who he needed to arrest or help. Those mornings between truly reclaiming Erebor and leaving for the Blue Mountains were the few where Dwalin had learned to enjoy the morning. Now he had lost that again and he went back to waking early and needing to do something. At the moment it was going for a walk to collect bread from the bakers and milk from the farms before he returned to Bilbo.

Bilbo's pregnancy was still advancing too rapidly, though Dwalin had never seen a dwarf who was having more than one dwarfling at a time. Births of more than one child were considered to be blessings of Mahal and very, very rare. The last one had been the most recent reincarnation of Durin himself. Dwalin could not help but wonder what would come from this latest blessing. He had asked Bilbo and even among hobbits they were rare. Every day, Dwalin was more glad that he had decided to stay even while he missed Ori more.

Dwalin had settled into a rhythm to helping Bilbo. By the time he had returned Bilbo would be awake and cooking breakfast. Dwalin assisted where he could but the hobbit was independent and did not like relying on anyone, especially someone that he considered a guest. When they had eaten Bilbo would often go out into the gardens while Hamfast Gamgee worked. They would eat lunch before the fire and Bilbo would fall asleep in his chair for at least a few hours before he woke in time for visits from the Brandybuck and Took hobbits for afternoon tea. Those hobbits also seemed to be there as much to see a real dwarf and pester him for stories as they were for Bilbo. Dwalin did not mind so long as Bilbo had company. Bilbo would again make dinner and then he would settle before the fire to read. Dwalin occasionally went to the Inn in Bree to learn anything he could of information from the East. It was a quiet life, softer and more gentle than the life of a dwarf. Dwalin was even more impressed that Bilbo had survived on the road, had been willing to even come, now that he could see the life Bilbo had left behind. If Dwalin lived like this he was not sure he would have left the Shire for such a foolhardy mission and Dwalin was not a dwarf to crave the soft things in life. He could see Ori here though, could see how much his chosen dwarf would love the life that Bilbo had here and Dwalin wished he was here with him.

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	6. Chapter 6

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Ori rushed to the Great Hall as soon as news of the caravans from the Blue Mountains arriving reached him in the library. He flew into the grand room and was immediately swarmed by the rest of the dwarves that were living in Erebor. He tried to spot the tallest dwarf, the tattoos and bald head but he couldn't see Dwalin. The caravans were still rolling into the Great Hall though, the livestock left outside and the dwarves, both arriving and waiting, were searching for loved ones. He should be looking for his mother but at the moment he just wanted to find Dwalin, to know how the dwarf had fared with his mother. Ori could not really lie to himself after missing the other dwarf for over two months, he no longer cared what his brothers said, nor what his mother might think. The moment he saw the older dwarf he was going to kiss him regardless of who was watching. Then he was going to drag Dwalin back to his room, everything else be damned. Ori could not see him though, he wondered if the other dwarf may have gone looking for him or had been delayed when Balin stopped in front of him. The grey haired dwarf wrapped a hand around Ori's arm and pulled him off to the side.

Ori's chest tightened painfully. "What happened to Dwalin, will he survive?"

Balin shook his head and turned to look at Ori apologetically. "I am sorry, Ori, he is not injured, nor dead. He is in the Shire."

Ori frowned at him. "What?"

"He sent a letter, but I will tell you this, he felt he had to stay there and he asked me to keep an eye on you until he could return."

"Is Bilbo unwell?"

Balin looked torn. "Dwalin asked me not to share the hobbit's secret but he is well and Dwalin may have written something in the note."

Ori yanked the paper out of Balin's hands and then flushed. "I am sorry, Balin."

Balin just smiled at him. "There is no need for an apology, Ori, I am sure he would be as eager with a letter from you."

Ori smiled. "I shall have to organise a crow to send him a message."

Balin smiled. "I think he would appreciate that."

Ori clutched the paper to him, wanting to slip from the room immediately to read it but at that moment he heard his name.

"Ori, oh my Ori, come here."

Ori looked up to find his mother standing on the other side of Balin, smiling at him with tears in her eyes. He shoved the letter into his pocket, keeping one hand there so that he could touch the paper while he stepped around Balin and walked up to his mother.

"Oh, Ori, let me look at you…you are too thin, much too thin," she said, cupping his hands around Ori's cheeks.

"I am not," Ori said, she always thought he was too thin. He had lost some fat and gained a lot of muscle on their journey to the mountain and he had been training with Dwalin to keep some of it. "I am perfectly well."

"A few good meals is all you need," his mother continued, as though he had not said anything. "I will have to cook for you again."

Ori smiled at her and pulled her into a one-armed hug. "I have missed you, Mother."

She burst into tears against his neck and wrapped her arms around him tightly. Ori tightened his own arm but he could not bring himself to let go of the letter in his pocket to hold her more completely.

"I am well, Ma, I promise."

She pulled back slightly so that she could catch his eye. "I have been worried for you since you left me, my little Ori."

"He proved himself a very brave dwarf," Balin said, still standing behind them watching them with soft eyes.

Ori's mother turned around and flushed when she saw Balin. "You are King Thorin's advisor."

"Balin," he said, dipping into a bow, "at your service."

"Shanis, at yours," his mother said in response.

"I have been named the Royal Historian in Thorin's Kingdom," Ori explained, smiling at his mother.

She smiled brightly at him and pulled him into her arms. "I am so proud of you, Ori, I always knew you were destined for greatness. And your father would have been so proud too."

Ori smiled, trying to show his mother that his father's approval meant more to him than it could when he did not remember him. Ori's father had fallen in battle before Ori had even breathed for the first time. His mother's pride did mean a lot to him, just as his brother's did. Dori and Nori appeared behind Shanis pulling her away from Ori so that they could wrap her in hugs. She rewarded them by fussing over them both, worrying that they too had stopped eating, that they had not been taking enough care of themselves. Then she preened over their new positions in the mountain and dragged all three of them over to her oldest friends, Bríana and Cláin, so that she could show all three of them off. Ori bore it with as much grace as he could, wanting nothing more than to slip from the Great Hall, and his family, and find out why Dwalin had not returned to him when he promised that he would. It was not until much later, Shanis settled in Dori's chambers that he was able to escape to his own, a set of rooms in the library that he was awarded along with his new position and responsibilities.

Ori made himself a cup of tea and then curled in a chair before the fire. He smoothed a finger over his name written in Dwalin's tiny, surprisingly neat hand, and then very gently unsealed the letter. Ori pulled the parchment inside out and hesitated for a moment, a little thread of apprehension unfurling within him thinking about Dwalin having changed his mind. Ori shook the thought off and unfolded the paper, remembering Balin's words. He read the words in a rush, devouring them and then once he reached the end he had to go back and read them again.

_Ori, _

_I visited the Shire on our King's orders to deliver Bilbo a small portion of his share in our treasure. I found him in need of help. I cannot tell you all but he needs me and I feel obligated to stay and help him for his sake as well as for Thorin's. I would like to come home to you, Ori, but I know you will understand that I need to stay. I will come back to you as quickly as I am able but I will think of you daily._

_You promised to wait for me, I hope you will continue to do so, my Ori. _

_Dwalin. _

Ori sighed and collapsed back into the chair, staring at the fire. He knew that whatever Bilbo needed it would have to be important for Dwalin not to have come back to him and he could wait, he would wait, for the older dwarf to come back. Ori read the letter again, wishing it was longer, wishing it would simply never end even though he knew that was not possible.

He tucked the letter beneath his bed before he drifted off to sleep that night.

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	7. Chapter 7

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Bilbo stretched out in bed knowing that Dwalin would be out of the house already. He had not lived with someone since his father had died and he had never felt any inclination to live with anyone since, not counting the short time he had fantasised about remaining in Erebor and sharing quarters with her King. Bilbo curved his hand over his stomach and wished he could just flop onto his back but the weight of his stomach made that position uncomfortable very quickly. Bilbo had resigned himself to sleeping on his side since he had stopped being able to see his feet when he was standing up straight. Bilbo knew the weight of his unborn children was something that Violet worried about even though she was very careful not to tell him that. He could see it in her face whenever she saw him though and he had to admit that it worried him as well even though he had nothing to compare it to.

Bilbo slowly, and carefully, twisted over and swung around until he could sit comfortably on his bed. He took a moment to catch his breath and then stood up reaching out for the cane he refused to let anyone else see him use as he walked into the bathroom. By the time he walked back into his room, ready to dress for the day, he felt much more steady on his feet and left the cane beside his bed before he walked through his hobbit-hole to the kitchen. He pulled leftover vegetables from dinner the night before and mashed them up together with some seasoning before he left it in the pan to heat through and crisp around the edges. There was fresh bacon in the cold box and Dwalin would bring fresh bread back with him from the bakers – who also slipped the dwarf an iced and sticky bun every morning as though Bilbo was not able to adequately feed his guest. It would be even more insulting if Bilbo did not know that Dwalin had caught the baker's son running around doing silly things with the Pippin girl and saved them both from more serious injury.

Bilbo could not help but smile as he beat eggs and folded in cream with herbs. Dwalin had been an oddity when he first arrived – yet another example of Bilbo's _strangeness_. He was a dwarf, and not a dwarf that they could ignore, he was a large dwarf with a bald patch and tattoos who was known for going out with a giant Warhammer occasionally. The Warhammer was of particular interest to all of the hobbitlings that had tried to lift it when Dwalin had left it outside Bilbo's house while they had been removing a tree from the Marren garden next to Bilbo's. All of the little hobbits had tried to lift the hammer, not one of them got it off the ground before Dwalin turned and looked at them. They had run away from him screaming in joyful terror. The bravest of them back for more as soon as Dwalin's back was once again turned away from them. Bilbo had not been able to resist laughing at them knowing that Dwalin was quite harmless so long as they did not threaten him or any dwarf of Erebor. Since then though the hobbitlings had taken to crowding around Dwalin whenever he was out; trying to get him to teach them to fight or tell them stories of the faraway places that he had visited. Bilbo could not work out if their parents were worried about their children consorting with a dwarf or not but the number of hobbitlings had grown the more time passed.

Bilbo laid bacon into a hot frypan, still enjoying the sizzle even as his appetite was smaller than it had been since he had been on the road. The smell would still be enough to make his mouth water while he flipped the cooking vegetable and turned to set the table in the kitchen. He laid out his mother's plates as he felt the babies moving under his other hand. Violet said it was uncommon for the babies to be so active during the day when his movements should lull them to sleep much as his rocking would do when they were born but he did not care if he was still able to sleep during the night. Dwalin had shrugged at them both – having no idea what dwarfish pregnancies were like. It was one more excuse for Dwalin to worry over him if nothing else. Well, Dwalin and everyone else who still stopped by to see Bilbo.

The hobbit had not realised how worried the few friends and family that he could still count on had been until he had seen how very relieved they were to know that he now had someone to live with him; to keep an eye on him. Bilbo had hated it at first, he was an independent hobbit and was more than capable of looking after himself regardless of what everyone thought. Now, he appreciated the company and had stopped worrying about accepting Dwalin's help. He had come to accept that it was much the same as accepting Gamgee's help with the garden and accepting the odd cake from Violet's larder when he could not bake his own.

Bilbo could not help but smile and pull the flour from the shelf. The vegetables would need time if they were to taste as good as possible so he quickly mixed up a batch of honey and nut cakes, sliding them into the oven as he laid the cooked bacon on top of the vegetable to remain hot and then tipped the eggs into the pan. He could hear his front door open and smiled, listening to Dwalin telling a group of hobbitlings to run off and return to their mothers. Dwalin laughed loudly and then Bilbo could hear the door swing close. It took the dwarf a few minutes to make it into the kitchen – just in time for him to carry all of the plates to the table and cut some fresh bread for them.

"Any news today?" Bilbo asked. He had been surprised that Dwalin was almost as much of a gossip as any hobbit. It had served Bilbo well now that he could not go into the pub, nor the trader's shops with as much ease as he once had.

"That Sackville-Baggins that you dislike so was having a fight with the baker's wife when I went in to collect the bread."

Bilbo felt a rush of excitement at the news. "About what?"

Dwalin shook his head, as though he could not believe his own actions but he told Bilbo all about the cake that Lobelia had ordered and said was not exactly what she ordered. "The baker's wife was just pulling out a signed order when the baker handed me my bread and Lobelia handed the money over before snatching her cake and leaving."

"She was trying to get out of paying," Bilbo said, shaking his head. "She is a disgrace to the Baggins name, she always has been – I still cannot believe that Otho married her."

"Was she an especially fetching hobbit when she was younger?"

"No," Bilbo said, "she was just as mean looking as she is now. Though he is not a strong hobbit and she rules him."

"Some males have been known to enjoy that."

Bilbo smiled. "That is true, and hobbit ladies have always been a strong breed."

"Not so strong as she-dwarves," Dwalin told him, smiling at him cockily as he scooped up more of his breakfast.

Bilbo did not argue the point, having never met any female dwarves but the stories that Glóin told of his wife and the snippets that Fíli and Kíli shared made the hobbit wonder if it was not true. Instead, Dwalin told him anything else the dwarf had learned while he was in the village.

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	8. Chapter 8

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Ori rubbed his stomach and groaned as he turned over to bury his face in Dwalin's pillow. Ori could not smell Dwalin on the pillow anymore but he still liked to pretend. He would have to get out of bed, if only to let someone know he was unwell. Though this was the seventh morning that he had woken up feeling poorly. Ori knew he would need to go and see one of the healers but he simply did not want to move. He fell asleep again with his nose buried in Dwalin's pillow and dreamed of the warrior dwarf. He woke up to someone brushing the hair off his forehead.

"Dwalin?" Ori mumbled, blinking his eyes open. He startled when he saw his mother instead of the bald head he had been expecting. "Ma?"

"I came to see you and you were not in the library, my little Ori."

"It is a rest day," Ori pointed out, "and I do not feel well."

"Still, you are normally there," she bent over to kiss him on the forehead. "You are not warm. Tell me how you feel."

"Unwell," Ori said with a sigh, turning over. "My stomach has been upset and I have not wanted to eat for a week."

Shanis watched him with a frown and then sat on the bed next to Ori. "Why did you not tell me you had a sweetheart?"

"What?"

"You are pregnant."

Ori sat up and then groaned and sunk back down onto the bed. "What?"

"You are just like I was when I realised I was pregnant with your brothers and then you."

Ori groaned and covered his eyes with his forearm. Then he smiled into it, wondering what Dwalin would say when he found out.

"Are you going to tell me about your sweetheart?"

"Dwalin," Ori said, pulling the other dwarf's pillow closer and tucking it into his chest while he looked up at his mother.

"That large, tattooed dwarf that kept an eye on me while we were travelling and then left us in the Shire?"

Ori nodded. "I know he had a good reason."

"He certainly looked very serious when he was talking to Balin and the Lady Dís. He was very kind to me, but perhaps he was simply hoping to ensure I liked him before we got back to Erebor?"

Ori flushed and then smiled at his mother. "He was attempting to make sure you liked him."

Shanis laughed and kissed him on the forehead. "Get up and then wash up and I will make you something gentle for your stomach."

Ori sighed, he did not want to be treated like the baby of the family – especially now that he was going to be having his own baby but he felt terrible and he wanted to let his mother take care of him. He dragged himself out of bed and into the bathroom to wash up. As soon as he did he felt better as his mother knew he would.

"Do you feel better, my love?" Shanis asked, placing a fragrant cup of tea down in front of him.

Ori nodded. "How long did you feel like this?"

"Only a few weeks, your aunt was sick for months though."

Ori groaned. "I hope it is only a few weeks."

"You can distract yourself from feeling bad by telling me all about your Dwalin."

"I knew it!"

Ori startled and almost toppled his teacup onto his wrist. "Dori!"

"I knew that brute had taken advantage of you."

"Dori," Ori said, standing up and glaring at his brother before he had to sit back down heavily when his stomach revolted.

"Ori?" Dori rushed over to his brother's side and dropped to his knees. "What is the matter?"

"Nothing," their mother said, pushing the tea closer to her youngest son. "He needs to be mindful of how he moves now that he is pregnant."

Dori's face turned a peculiar shade of red then twisted to an alarming shade of puce. "Pregnant? I will kill him!"

"You will do no such thing," Ori said.

"He took advantage of you and then deserted you after he had everything he wanted. I knew he could not be trusted."

"He did not take advantage of me," Ori told his brother, "I chased him."

Dori's face softened. "He manipulated you, to make you think that you were chasing him but that is not what happened, Ori. He took advantage of your naiveté."

Ori pinched his mouth together and glared up at his brother. "Dwalin did not manipulate me."

"Then where is he now? He got what he wanted from you and he left before there was any kind of consequences for his actions."

"He had to stay in the Shire."

"Why?"

Ori deflated. "I do not know."

"Exactly." Dori said, preening under his own righteousness.

"He had a good reason," Ori said, sure even in the face of his brother's disbelief. "I trust him."

"You do not know that he had a good reason," Dori pointed out.

"But I trust him and I know that he is an honourable dwarf."

"He arrested your brother."

Ori sighed. "Nori stole and Dwalin was doing his duty."

"And what of his duty to you, he should be here with you."

"I am more than capable of looking after myself."

Dori looked suddenly triumphant. "I knew he had abandoned you."

Ori threw his hands up in the air. "Dwalin agreed to travel to the Blue Mountains to make a good impression on our mother, he has asked to bond with me."

"Attempting to stop you from making a scene when he deserted you."

"He does not even know I am pregnant," Ori all but yelled at his oldest brother. "I did not even know until Ma told me a couple of minutes ago."

"Dori, stop upsetting your brother."

"I only wish to save him from a worse pain when Dwalin never returns."

"He stayed to help Bilbo," Ori said again, his frustration leaking out.

"What could the hobbit need?"

"I do not know," Ori admitted, "however, I trust Dwalin – I have had no reason to doubt him."

"You are being naïve," Dori said, folding his arms over his chest and looking down at his brother.

"You need to leave," Ori said, sinking back down onto the chair behind him.

"What?" Dori asked, scandalised.

"Please," Ori said, sighing, "just go."

Dori opened his mouth to argue but then Shanis was up and standing between her sons. "I agree, Dori, you need to leave until you can talk to your brother without upsetting him."

"I am only-"

"You are only going, my Dori, I know you have the best of intentions – as always, but you are only upsetting him."

Dori looked at Ori and then his face softened. "I will come back tomorrow."

Ori nodded and slumped into his chair as soon as he heard the door close behind his brother.

"He means well."

"He wishes to treat me like a child."

"I relied on him too much after your father's death."

"You needed help."

"Yes," Shanis agreed.

Ori did not remember his father as they never had the opportunity to meet. Shanis had worked hard to provide for her children on his death and Dori had cared for Nori and Ori. Nori had turned to crime to help while Dori attempted to control everything in his life, and all of the dwarves in it.

"He cannot protect me from the world even though he tried very hard while we were on our journey."

"That is why I wanted you to go," Shanis admitted. "To find your feet without them."

"They came with me," Ori pointed out.

Shanis smiled at him. "You had to stand up to them and I think you did."

"He still wants to treat me like a child."

"He always will," she said, kissing him on the head. "As will I, but you found your Dwalin and you will be a father sooner than you realise and then Dori will come to see that he does not need to be both father and brother anymore."

"Do you believe that?"

"No," Shanis said, with a soft smile. "But it is worth hoping for."

Ori stood up suddenly and wrapped his arms around his mother's shoulders. "I missed you, Ma."

"I have missed you since the moment you left me, my Ori, you were always my favourite."

Ori could not help laughing – his mother said that to all three of them. "Now, you are going to have to tell me all about having a dwarfling? I want to prove to them both that I can do this."

Shanis smiled. "My first grandchild, something to celebrate. Three sons all distinguished under the reign of King Thorin Oakenshield and a grandchild. Our family's fortunes have finally turned."

Ori smiled at his mother and nodded. "They certainly have."

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	9. Chapter 9

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Dwalin woke with a start, jumping from his bed and grabbing his Warhammer before he rushed into Bilbo's room to find the hobbit kneeling on the bed with his hand on the wall behind it clutching his stomach.

"Bilbo?" Dwalin looked around the room but could not see anyone so he dropped the hammer and rushed over to Bilbo. "What is it?"

"Pain," Bilbo gasped out, rubbing at his stomach.

"Should I get Violet?"

Bilbo nodded.

Dwalin did not want to leave him but he knew nothing about pregnancy even after discussing it with Violet regularly – she was as worried about Bilbo as Dwalin was. Luckily, the Gamgee hobbit-hole was close to Bilbo's and he made it there and back in only a few minutes. Violet had thrown a jacket on over her shockingly bright yellow nightgown the moment she had seen Dwalin in her doorway, not giving him a moment to say anything. They both rushed through the night to Bilbo's green door which was still standing ajar. Dwalin slowed so that Violet was the first into the room and she immediately climbed up onto the bed with Bilbo.

Dwalin stood in the doorway, not entirely sure what he should be doing. He would wait for instruction from Violet. Not for the first time the warrior wondered why he had decided to stay here with Bilbo when his brother would have been a better choice. Balin knew how to be still, to spend his time in his own company quietly. That was Bilbo's life for the most part though Dwalin has seen that the hobbit would be much more active if it were not for the fact that he could not move comfortably any longer. Dwalin was lost without his daily drills with the other members of the King's Guard and his time spent advising and helping Thorin in the reclamation of their mountain. Dwalin so often found himself unsure of what he should do to fill his days now. Though, he could admit the desire to have left this duty to Balin was also selfish; he missed Ori. Yet, even now, Dwalin was also glad that he had come to see Bilbo – he enjoyed the Halfling's company more than he remembered doing so when they were travelling. That could have more to do with the fact that hobbits were not disposed to long journeys away from home. He was coming to see the quiet strength in hobbits now though.

"Dwalin," Violet called out, pulling the dwarf from his thoughts.

He started and moved closer to the bed. Bilbo's face was pale, sweat beading along his brow and in his hair and he breathed quickly and shallowly as though constantly trying to catch his breath.

"What can I do?" Dwalin asked.

"Help me turn him onto his side," Violet said. "I need to go and collect some herbs."

Dwalin nodded and settled Bilbo onto his side.

"Keep the room warm and keep him calm." Violet said, shoving one of the torches Bilbo kept near the fire in until it caught alight. She nodded at Dwalin and then left the room and then he heard the front door close and Bilbo griped his hand tightly and held on.

"Bilbo?" Dwalin said, trying to think of what his brother would do, what Ori would do, in this situation.

"I will be fine…Violet…warned me," then Bilbo was silent.

Dwalin continued to hold onto Bilbo's hand and hope that Violet returned as quickly as possible. Bilbo was tense next to Dwalin but his breathing was easier. Dwalin did not like not knowing what to do and he so often did not know what to do here in the Shire. Time seemed to drag until Dwalin heard the front door open again and Violet stomped into the bedroom and looked at Dwalin until the dwarf moved out of the way.

She gave Dwalin a handful of different roots and flowers that he held carefully while she sat on the bed next to Bilbo. She brushed a bulbous root off on her coat and then dunked it in Bilbo's glass of water before she snapped a small section off and placed it in Bilbo's mouth.

"Chew on that, Bilbo," Violet said, rubbing Bilbo's arm.

Dwalin could smell the root in the air, something bitter that he could not identify. He had faith in Violet though. Bilbo chewed slowly and calmed bit by bit even if his muscles remained tensed.

"What did you give him?"

"Something to help with the pain. It is the root of a plant that I grow in my garden for just this reason," Violet said. "You have to be carefully with it though, too much and it can knock a person out – quite dangerous for a hobbit expecting."

"Is it safe for him?"

Violet looked at him with disdain and Dwalin immediately stepped back and ducked his head. "Of course," Violet said, her voice full of annoyance that he would even think she did not know what she was doing.

Dwalin apologised, remembering his mother suddenly – she and Violet could have easily come from the same block of granite. Violet nodded and looked down at Bilbo again, holding one of his hankies below Bilbo's mouth and instructing him to spit out the root. She smoothed her hand through his hair and murmured something to the other hobbit.

"Come," Violet said, looking at Dwalin, "I need your help and Bilbo should be calm for long enough for us to get everything done."

Dwalin nodded and stepped away from the bed, looking down at the still tense lines of Bilbo's face. Dwalin recognised the expression from a great many battlefields but he had never associated the look with anything less than battle. He silently followed Violet out of Bilbo's room and into the kitchen. Violet took the plants from Dwalin's hand and busied herself pulling things from the cupboards until she looked down at the table with satisfaction.

"Here," she said, handing him a jug of water, "you will need to pour that in when I tell you."

Dwalin took the jug and stepped closer to the table. "Will this fix the problem?"

"Nothing can really fix this problem," Violet said.

Dwalin frowned at her. "What is wrong with him?"

"It is the weight of the babies," Violet said, grinding the herbs in a stone bowl with enough vigour to make a dwarf proud. "Your dense dwarf bones are too much for him."

Dwalin felt his stomach twist. "What are you going to do?"

"Tie him to that bed until they are far enough along to birth them."

Dwalin let out a harsh breath. "What will that do?"

"Alleviate some of the pressure on his body. Bilbo is not the first hobbit I have ever nursed that struggled with the pressure of pregnancy. I will get Bilbo Baggins through like I did his mother and the babies will be well – probably as boisterous and strapping as Bilbo was as a child."

"Bilbo was a boisterous child?"

"He was his mother's son until her death and he tried to become more like the Baggins of Bag-End. It warmed my heart when he slipped off on his adventure. His mother would have been so proud of him."

"You were close to his mother?"

"We were great friends. Bilbo was the first baby I delivered when I stopped visiting with my Ma. It was a shame she could never have children after Bilbo – broke my heart to tell her so but she loved that boy as though he were a family to rival the Tooks."

"She had a hard pregnancy too?" Dwalin asked, pouring the water as she gestured for it.

"Oh yes, terrible, she was in bed for most of it, but Bilbo was born strong and she bounced back well. Bilbo is older than many hobbits when they have their first child but that adventure made him stronger, brought out that horrible stubbornness he got from his mother. He will be completely well if I have any say in it."

Dwalin smiled and felt his shoulders relax. "Then everyone shall be completely healthy."

Violet looked at him even while she mixed the herbs in front of her. "And you are not the babe's father?"

"No!" Dwalin said forcefully.

"And yet you are so worried for his health."

Dwalin looked back towards Bilbo's bedroom. "It is really not my secret to tell."

"It will be that King of yours then," Violet said, with disdain. Dwalin's honour and loyalty made his bristle at her tone but he did not say anything. "Oh, I can tell by the look on your face, you want to defend him because he is your King but you did not see Bilbo when he first came back – heartbroken but hopeful because of those babies. That Gandalf said something about a Thorin and I have heard you talk about your King Thorin with the hobbitlings that follow you around. He is the babes' other father, is he not?"

Dwalin nodded.

"And you are here to protect the heir to your kingdom?"

Dwalin glared at her, wanting to fold his arms over his chest and really show her his displeasure but she stared him down and he had to admit that even he did not agree with Thorin's actions where the hobbit was concerned.

"I am here to assist Bilbo because it is the right thing to do."

Violet smiled at him. "Good, then we will get him through this."

"Thorin is a good King."

Violet huffed at him and began tearing up a bunch of red flowers. "But not a decent partner."

Dwalin wanted to argue with Violet but he knew a lost cause when he saw one. "What else do you need me to do?"

Violet nodded once, reassured, and then ordered Dwalin around while she made a range of strange smelling things.

There were loose leaves that she poured into a little mesh bag to dry out. "Tea, to be consumed with every meal." A bunch of herbs that she hung upside down above the fire. "When they are dried they can be added to meals to help." And there was a wet paste infused with brightly coloured flowers. "You do not want to know what that one is for."

The last thing Violet did was cut up the root she had given to Bilbo and boiled it in a pot of water. "You are only to give him a thimble full – I will bring one over for you, if he wakes again like he did tonight."

Dwalin nodded. "You tell me what to do and I will do it."

"There are a few other pregnant hobbits around here so I cannot simply move in like I would like to."

"Do you often move in with expectant hobbits?"

Violet smiled at him. "Anything I need to do to birth a healthy babe. Just like my Hamfast would do anything for his garden."

Dwalin smiled, thinking of the way that Hamfast cared for Bilbo's garden and how much more determined he must be with his own. Then he thought about Ori and his books – the library that Ori was so determined to save.

"I am going to go and check on Bilbo," Violet said. "Stir the root until I get back, please."

Dwalin nodded and took up the wooden spoon, stirring under her watch for a few moments before she nodded and left the room. The broth in front of him smelt so strongly that Dwalin had to turn his head while he stirred. Violet came back in and tsked at him before taking the wooden spoon from his hand.

"He has fallen back to sleep." Violet explained. "You should sleep too."

"I do not need to," Dwalin said, folding his arms across his chest.

Violet looked up at him with one grey eyebrow slowly creeping up. "Are you going to be caring for Bilbo?"

"Yes."

"Then get to bed before I throw you in there myself."

Dwalin felt his mouth twitch but he nodded and turned to go back to his bedroom. He refrained from explaining to her that he was a warrior and was used to little to no sleep when needed. He would just do what she asked of him so long as it meant that he was looking after Bilbo. Dwalin was always pleased that he found falling asleep so easy – he had been trained to find sleep whenever and wherever he could.

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	10. Chapter 10

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Ori truly did not want to go to dinner in his mother's rooms.

He could lie and say that he was feeling unwell but he had not felt sick because of the pregnancy since that first day when Shanis had realised that he was with child.

He did not want to see Dori and Nori. He felt terrible about that but honestly they made him sad and mad and he just wished to enjoy his pregnancy. He had been documenting everything since that night when his mother had finally left him that first night. He knew that Dwalin would hate that he was missing everything but there was no way to get him back to the mountain. Ori missed the other dwarf more now than he had ever before. He sighed and dressed, curling one of Dwalin's jackets around his shoulders; loving that it was still somewhat loose around his larger abdomen. He was not yet showing truly but it was enough to make his own jacket tight. Once, no one would have noticed because he had always had the paunch of a well-fed dwarf but the long, hard journey had whittled him down and he had asked Dwalin to train him to fight when they had settled in the mountain as an excuse to continue seeing the warrior dwarf. Dwalin had welcomed the excuse though his refused to spend all of their time together in one of their chambers and both forms of exercise had kept Ori as slim as he was when they had reclaimed Erebor. He hoped that everyone within the mountain would still be assuming he was simply gaining weight, at least until he could convince his brothers to stop maligning Dwalin every time they saw one another.

Ori sighed and looked at himself in the mirror for a few long minutes before he turned and left his rooms. If any of the dwarves who saw him noticed that he was wearing Dwalin's coat none of them seemed to react. He knocked on his mother's chamber door and waited a few moments for Dori to open it.

Dori stared out at Ori with a fiercely dark expression. "What are you wearing?"

"A coat," Ori explained, stepping in until Dori had no other choice but to step back and let his younger brother into the house.

"Whose coat?"

"Dwalin's," Ori threw over his shoulder as he walked further in to kiss his mother on the cheek.

"You look quite comfortable in it," she said, smiling at him. "How are you, my darling?"

"I am very well," he said brightly, "we have finally pulled the rest of the books that need to be repaired out so that all I need to do is some maintenance on the remainder of the collection."

"You should not be climbing up and down those terrible ladders," Dori said firmly.

"They are completely safe; Bofur checked and repaired them quite thoroughly." Ori argued.

Dori looked only partially mollified.

"Bofur was always an exceptional metal worker with things like that. The metal staircase he made for Thorin in the Great Hall is an amazing example of his craftsmanship." Shanis defended.

Ori smiled at her and sat down at her left – his traditional place as her youngest child. "It is, is it not?"

"I do not doubt Bofur's skills," Dori explained, tugging at his waistcoat. "Everyone knows that the House if Ur always produced great artisans of metal."

"They certainly have," Nori said, walking into the room suddenly. "You should see what their cousin Chefur can do with twisted metal."

Ori flushed just as he always did when Nori winked as he did when he thought back to Chefur. Ori remembered the female dwarf – like most from the House of Ur she had an abundance of curves. Nori had always been proud of his ability to attract attention from females and males alike as much as he had been proud of the things he did to help their family survive even when most of what he did lead him directly into Dwalin's path.

"You are late, my Nori," Shanis said, shaking her head at him. "And with no kiss for your mother?"

Nori smiled at her widely and twisted his hand around, revealing a single flower. Shanis refused to smile at him until he had bent at the waist and kissed her on the cheek.

"Hello, Ma."

"You are looking even better today, my darling."

"As are you," Nori said, settling into the seat to Ori's left – leaving the seat left, at their mother's right for Dori.

Dori sat down in the last seat and Shanis immediately uncovered the plates on the tables.

"Eat," she said immediately, smiling as Dori took up a spoon first before Nori and Ori followed his example. They ate quietly, which was the only reprieve that Ori knew he would get for the rest of the night.

Ori lifted another spoonful of his mother's baked venison and thought back to the night he had tried to replicate the recipe for Dwalin. He had been able to taste all the ways that it was not as good as his mother's but Dwalin had been nothing but complimentary about the food. He smoothed a hand over his almost flat stomach and smiled even as he took a bite.

"Is something wrong, Ori?" Nori asked, concern colouring his tone.

"No," Ori said, smiling, he spoke without really thinking. "I was just thinking of the time I made this for Dwalin."

"You made my baked venison for Dwalin?" Shanis asked, proud.

"It was not as good as yours, of course," Ori explained.

Shanis smiled at him widely.

"You made Dwalin our family recipe?" Dori asked.

"Of course I did," Ori said, "just as he made me his father's smoked pork belly."

"You swapped recipes?" Dori asked, voice rising with each question.

Ori nodded. "We had intended to bond and spend the remainder of our lives together."

"And then he left you." Nori pointed out.

"Nori, he is in the Shire, he is with Bilbo, and he will be back." Ori said, repeating the words he had said again and again.

"Why should you trust a letter that did not even tell you why he was staying in the Shire?" Dori asked.

"Why can you not trust my word when I tell you that he loved me?" Ori countered.

"We trust you," Nori said, "but I do not trust that dwarf."

"If you trusted me you would stop trying to tell me I have made a terrible mistake with Dwalin."

"If I had have been paying more attention I could have saved you from this pain," Dori said.

Ori glared at his brother. "I am an adult, or have you forgotten my trials?"

"Enough!" Shanis said firmly, looking at all of her sons. "Your brother has told you more than once that he trusts Dwalin. Yes, the dwarf arrested Nori. He had a job to do and Nori was breaking the laws of his King. He protected Ori on the journey, and I believe that he may have protected more than just him?" Shanis looked at Dori until he finally nodded. "Just as I thought. If Ori trusts him then you should give him the benefit of the doubt. He certainly looked like there was something serious occurring when I saw him speaking with his brother. If you cannot support your brother at this time then you need to rethink your actions."

"Dwalin took advantage of Ori." Dori said, incensed.

Ori snorted. "He did not have to take advantage of anything."

"Ori!" Dori said, scandalised.

"Nori tells us all about his dalliances."

"They are not all dalliances," Nori defended.

Ori rolled his eyes at his brother. "And yet you dare to be scandalised by Dwalin and I?"

"While I do not want to know about you and Dwalin, Ori, and I do wish Nori would keep his own counsel a little more, there is nothing wrong with what either of you have done."

"Thank you, Ma," Ori said. Nori repeated his words seconds later. She nodded at them and Dori returned to eating without saying another word.

Dori kept his opinion to himself for the rest of the night but he insisted on accompanying Ori back to his rooms. Ori walked quickly knowing that Dori had an ulterior motive.

"Ori," Dori finally said, stopping in the middle of the hallway.

Ori sighed and turned to look at his brother. "Yes?"

"I am not trying to hurt you; I only want to save you from pain."

Ori smiled and wrapped his hand around his brother's elbow. "Then you need to stop, Dori, because he is coming back to me."

Dori's face turned mulish and Ori knew that he was not going to get what he wanted from his brother.

"If you do not believe me at least stop telling me he has left me."

"I do not want you to pine for him," Dori said.

"I know," Ori said, tiredly. "I will see you on rest day, Dori."

"Ori…"

"I am tired, Dori, I am going to bed."

Dori looked upset but he nodded and then turned back down the corridor and finished walking Ori back to his room.

"Sleep well," Dori said, before he watched Ori open his door and walk inside.

Ori sighed and changed, crawling into one of the large, black shirts that he had stolen from Dwalin's drawer and curled into his bed.

"He is coming back to me," Ori reminded himself, rubbing his hand over his growing belly.

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	11. Chapter 11

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Bilbo had too much time to think now. Dwalin had been in the Shire for the phases of two moons and at first his presence had been a mix of comfort for all of the dwarves he lost and a reminder of the aching place inside where he missed Thorin. It had been better at the beginning when Bilbo could still fill his days, and his mind, with thoughts of cooking, his garden – anything really to stop him thinking about how badly he missed Thorin and the other dwarves of the company. If Bilbo were honest with himself, and he was forced to be honest more than he wanted now that he could not move around as much, he missed Thorin more than all of the other members of the company combined.

Bilbo had woken from another fevered dream, cold with sweat and aching in a way that he had not known before he had met Thorin Oakenshield. He dreamed of the soft press of Thorin's fingers to the skin of his neck, the firm way that Thorin had held him as though he would never let the hobbit go. Bilbo had been lulled with every soft touch, fevered caress, barely muttered word into thinking that he would leave behind the life he had known here in the Shire and remain with Thorin under a dwarf mountain bathed in gold and jewels.

_I would adorn you in emeralds the colour of your front door. I will mould your body in gold. I shall spend my mornings affixing diamonds to every braid you would wear._ Bilbo shook the memory of Thorin's words out of his head. He must stop pining after the dwarf. He must remember the Dwarf King's true nature, twisted with greed and distrust and hating Bilbo for his every attempt to stave off war. He must remember that Thorin was not the dwarf he had believed for his own sake even though he knew he would need to remember him as his subjects saw him – fierce, brave, uncompromising in his protection of them – for his children because it was not their fault that one of their fathers was selfish in his ambitions. Bilbo also knew that he would have to travel to Erebor again one day, his children in tow, to introduce them to their father, their king, and their heritage.

Bilbo soothed a hand over his ever expanding middle and sighed. He needed to go to the bathroom – he constantly needed to go to the bathroom and almost wanted to give up drinking if it would help. He slowly got out of bed, wishing that his movement would not wake his children but they woke up when he moved and he knew by the time he was back in bed from the bathroom he would be being kicked by both of his children. A few minutes later his prediction came true and his hip was being bruised from the inside.

"You are definitely Thorin's children," he said, rubbing at the skin that was moving with his children to try and soothe them. "It is too early to be awake even if we could go out into our garden. I will take you when you are born though. I will teach you to tell a blueberry from every other berry and how to nurture tomatoes until they are the sweetest thing to go into a salad. We will plant potatoes and carrots to eat when you grow older and eat gooseberries warm off the bush. Our garden will be your favourite place. It is the best place to run and play. The very best thing will be that you will both have someone to be with and play games with. You must not steal apples from the Gamgee's garden though. Steal them from Fredin Cadrin's garden instead for he is not nearly as nice as the Gamgees. Being dwarves as well I may even let Drogo teach you how to swim – it is not something hobbits like to do but you may as the dwarves did seem to enjoy it on our journey. Then one day, one day in the future when I am sure that everything will be okay we will take a long journey to the East to a lonely mountain. There you will meet your other father and I can only hope that he will love you both as much as I already do."

Slowly the dwobbits settled again, allowing Bilbo to drift – never quite falling asleep even though he could use the rest. He could not stop thinking about Thorin. The way the dwarf had been so judgemental and doubtful when he had been presented with his 'burglar'. The disbelief when they had been travelling. The scorn when he disappeared in the goblin caves. The change in Thorin's attitude after Bilbo had saved his life had been enough to steal Bilbo's breath away and by the time they had made it to Beorn's halls and Thorin had recovered Bilbo had exposed his own feelings. He still did not understand it – what had attracted him to Thorin from that first moment when he had seen the dwarf on the other side of his doorway. In the midst of the chaos that the dwarves had brought with them to his hobbit-hole he had still found their king the most interesting one of all. He had not even realised that he loved Thorin until later. Bilbo could not be sure if it was when he thought Thorin was about to die or if it was before that. Perhaps he had simply been unable to watch someone die in such a horrible way and he had not fallen in love with Thorin until later – until nights where they kept warm together under shared blankets. The company had not had an easy journey but the moments Bilbo had stolen with Thorin were the few happy memories that Bilbo had from the hard journey to meet Smaug. At least they had been happy – now those moments were tainted by the knowledge that they had meant so little to Thorin.

The part that Bilbo hated above knowing that he had been so wrong to trust in Thorin was the knowledge that it had not hardened his heart to the dwarf. He still loved him, still missed Thorin even after months away and more heartache than he thought he would have been able to handle. He was too proud to ever tell anyone but he had been hoping that Thorin would try to stop him from leaving Erebor, that he would send word to Bilbo or, in his most unrealistic fantasies – come for Bilbo. He had given up on those fantasies by the time Dwalin arrived, at least he told himself he had – though there had been a fleeting moment where he had wondered if Dwalin had come on Thorin's behalf. That last hope had died with Dwalin's explanation of his motives.

Bilbo now wished for nothing more than to be able to let go of his feelings for Thorin which felt just as strong as they ever had.

Eventually Bilbo was pulled from his thoughts by the sound of Dwalin moving around as quietly as he could. Bilbo could completely understand now why he had such abdominal pain when he heard how loud Dwalin was while attempting to creep out of his room every morning.

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	12. Chapter 12

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Ori paused before he walked into his brother's rooms.

"Mother," Dori's voice was hushed but still carried around the corner, "you must understand the type of dwarf that Dwalin is."

"The one that Ori loves."

"He deserted our brother."

"I saw him talking with his brother and the Lady Dís. I believe Ori when he tells me that Dwalin has a good reason for being in the Shire instead of here with him."

"You believe Ori but not me?"

"You have always been protective of your brothers – both of them. I know that Dwalin arrested Nori but that was Nori's fault. You cannot continue to judge Dwalin based purely on that when Ori is his advocate. You need to listen to him before you drive him away."

Ori turned and walked away not wanting to hear anymore. He was so deathly sick of the constant attacks against Dwalin from Dori who refused to understand that Ori knew the tattooed warrior better than Dori did and that Ori _believed _in him. He walked through the mountain in a temper until he found himself in the Royal Rock Gardens. He went over to the corner where he always meet Dwalin and slumped down onto the quartz and stone bench. He was not sure how long he had been there when someone sat down next to him.

"Balin?" Ori asked, looking up.

"My brother always did love rock gardens."

Ori smiled. "He does."

"I heard a story about a very angry librarian walking through the halls of Erebor. He had a face dark enough to rival even our King's since the reclamation of Erebor."

"My brothers!" Ori explained, fuming.

Balin sighed quietly and looked at Ori with such sympathy that Ori curled a hand over his stomach without thinking.

"He has a very fine reason for being in the Shire."

"I know," Ori shouted, then blushed and slumped. "I believe in him, I love him, I just wish I did not have to spend all of my time attempting to convince my brothers that he has not deserted me."

"I am an older brother myself," Balin said, stroking his beard. "I have long understood the desire to protect a younger sibling."

"But you have not told Dwalin to forget about me because I am not a warrior, or because I prefer books to metal…have you?"

"Of course not. I think you and he are a fine match."

Ori smiled brightly and threw his arms around Balin. "Thank you."

Balin patted him on the back and smiled down at him – his eyes twinkling exactly like Dwalin's did.

"I really appreciate that," Ori said, after he had pulled away.

"We all need support, especially when we are away from those we love and dealing with new experiences."

Ori frowned and then realised that Balin was staring at the slight curve of his middle. "You know."

"I am an old dwarf and I pride myself on noticing things. Though I wonder, if Dwalin cannot come back from the Shire and you miss him so…"

"Oh!" Ori said, brightening immediately. "There is nothing in the library that cannot wait. I could go to the Shire. I will go, and I can see Dwalin, can tell him about the dwarfling and it will force my brothers to stop thinking that Dwalin has abandoned me."

Balin smiled down at him. "You could. I believe as Royal Advisor that I might even encourage you to do so."

"Thank you, Balin. Thank you so much for such a perfect idea."

"You are welcome, Ori, there is little I would not do to help family."

Ori could not resist another tight hug before he pulled away to rush from the rock gardens and to his chambers. As he went he thought about everything he would need to pack, what he would need to do in order to leave and how long it would take. He was so distracted he did not even notice his mother was standing at his door until she almost shouted his name.

"Ma?"

"What has you so distracted?"

"Nothing."

"You should not lie to your mother."

"Sorry, Mother."

"I know you heard Dori again today."

"He is wrong." Ori said again, hating that he had to.

"I believe you. What are you going to do?"

Ori debated telling his mother but he did not want her to worry about him. "I am leaving for the Shire."

Shanis looked at him for a moment and then nodded. "Good."

"Really?"

"Yes. However, I want you to travel with someone. Perhaps your friend Maklon? He is a healer, is he not? He could travel with you to keep you safe."

Ori nodded. "He may be needed here."

"There is no harm in asking him."

"No, there is not."

"Then I shall go and see my cousin in the kitchens to get you some food for the journey. Then I shall see about some ponies. Go and see Maklon."

"I am able to do all of that."

"It is best if you get away before Dori learns of your plan. I cannot get through to him – the perils of parenthood."

"Something to look forward to?"

"Exactly," Shanis said, kissing him swiftly and then slipping from the room.

The next day he had food and supplies for the journey. Maklon had agreed to come with him thinking it a great adventure and his mother was distracting both of his brothers for as long as she could. The following morning he slipped from the mountain just before dawn and he and Maklon set off as quickly as they could for the Shire.

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	13. Chapter 13

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One morning Dwalin and Hamfast half-carried Bilbo out into the garden so he could enjoy the sunshine. Violet had walked behind them the whole way, watching them closely and Bilbo would swear that even Dwalin was a little afraid of getting on her wrong side.

"Dwalin?" Bilbo asked, when he was settled and Violet was next to him crocheting.

"Yes, Bilbo?"

"Will you tell me how you and Ori started seeing one another?"

"Aye," Hamfast said, wiping at his forehead under the straw hat he wore. "You tell us all about it and I will have a little sip of something refreshing. You have not tried this one before. I make it myself from leftover apples."

Dwalin nodded and accepted the metal mug gratefully. He sat in the shade with the hobbits and thought about his Ori.

"I did not believe he would be interested in an older dwarf like me," Dwalin started.

"Is your Ohry much younger than yourself?" Violet asked.

"Ori," Bilbo corrected.

"He is, just shy of thirty years younger than I."

"Thirty years?" Violet said surprised. "Do dwarves live very long lives?"

"Most over two centuries," Dwalin said, "how long do hobbits live?"

"The oldest hobbit I have ever seen was ninety-three when he passed away." Violet offered.

Dwalin nodded. "More like the men than us dwarves. I thought that Ori would prefer someone younger. I protected him like I did all of the members of the company but he seemed to be the youngest of all of us – though he is older than Fíli of course."

"He is?" Bilbo asked, surprised.

"Only a few years but enough."

"And when did you change from protector to chaser?" Violet prompted.

Dwalin smiled, though with his beard the only indication was a twitching and lifting of the hair around his mouth. "When he lifted my Warhammer and wreaked havoc on our enemies. I took to teaching him to defend himself with more than just his slingshot. It was not until after the battle, after Bilbo left us that I found out Ori had been interested. That night in fact, as we were walking back to the camp he slid his hand into mine and tugged me off the path. We have been together ever since." Dwalin thought fondly of the way that Ori had blushed as he had kissed him. He thought about the elation of knowing that the one he had come to care for so deeply also cared for him. He regretted that it was Bilbo's departure that had prompted Ori to act, for he feared losing his nerve and did not know how Dwalin would respond. Dwalin smiled as he thought about that first kiss and the ones that had come after.

"But he did not tell his brothers?" Bilbo asked, surprised.

"He wished to protect me from their reaction, though I do believe he wanted to make sure we could be in a relationship before he told his brothers. Then we decided to try to convince his mother of my virtue before Dori told her I was attempting to take advantage of Ori."

"If she is a sensible dwarf then she will know you care too much about him to take advantage and, more, that you are far too honourable to do so."

"Thank you, Bilbo," Dwalin said, smiling at the hobbit broadly. "Though Dori has loathed me since the first time I arrested Nori."

"The first time?"

"He sort to help his family, but he chose the wrong path and turned to stealing."

"How sweet," Violet said, her voice soft. "Like Julete Capel and Romion Montinet."

"Who?" Bilbo and Dwalin asked.

Violet shook her head at them. "Young hobbits do not have any sense of history. The Montinets and the Capels had farms next to one another for generations and they hated one another. But Julete and Romion had played together as children not caring about some silly family feud. No one knew about it until they were older, old enough that neither of them would believe that they had to hate one another on principle. My mother swore Julete got pregnant on purpose so that they had to stop fighting. Though that happened more than a few years later. Parties in that family were always a little tense."

"I have never heard about them," Bilbo said.

"I am surprised; their granddaughter was a good friend of your mother's."

"Really?"

"Oh yes, though her last name was no longer Montinet."

"What was her name then?" Bilbo asked, curious.

"Willa Shapeare," Violet explained.

"Really? I had no idea. Mother never said anything."

"Young hobbits have no sense of history," Violet told Dwalin and then returned to her crochet.

"Nothing like dwarves then," Dwalin said. "We dwarves hold our history close to us. I can recite my ancestors back to Durin I who is the father of our people – created by Mahal himself."

"Mahal?" Violet asked.

"The elves call him Aulë. But dwarves, we are his creations and we call him Mahal. When a dwarf dies they return to his halls where the seven Fathers of the Dwarves were created and we will live out our second lives there ready to rebuild Arda after the Final Battle. He gave the dwarves their language Khuzdul and we learned our skills under the mountain from him."

Bilbo closed his eyes when they all fell silent, enjoying what he knew would be one of the last truly warm days of Autumn. He had been curious about Dwalin and Ori for a long while and he knew that many hobbits wondered if Dwalin was the other father of his children. Violet was the only hobbit in the Shire who could be trusted with a secret to her deathbed and never gossiped but Hamfast was another story and Bilbo wanted everything cleared up around the Shire. If Hamfast heard about Dwalin's real love then he would be unable to keep himself from telling everyone at the Inn about it. Hamfast talking of Ori would make the other hobbits wonder but Violet not contradicting him to prove it to most. Bilbo may still not know what to do about Thorin but he was the dwobbits' father and Bilbo would prefer it if there were no rumours counter to that fact.

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	14. Chapter 14

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"Did you hear?" Dís asked nonchalantly, nibbling on her breakfast.

Thorin looked up from his own food but resisted her attempts to draw him into gossip.

"I would think you would want to know that your Royal Historian has run away."

Thorin paused, frowning at his sister. "Run away where?"

Dís smiled down at her plate. "Apparently he is making his way to the…oh dear, we stopped there on the way here and Dwalin stayed…the Village?"

"Shire," Thorin corrected immediately knowing that he had played his hand. "I do not see why Ori would travel to the Shire alone."

"Not alone, he took one of the healers, Maklon with him. Left at dawn over a full week ago. His mother has been hiding his departure since he left. Apparently Dori and Nori are now planning to follow him."

"A healer?" Thorin asked, sitting up straighter. He had been worried when Dwalin had not returned but Balin had reassured him that the dwarf only stopped in the Shire for some rest now that the mountain was safe. Thorin had been surprised as Dwalin had volunteered to journey to the Shire and he had talked as though he would be coming back with Dís and the rest of Thorin's dwarves.

"Yes," Dís picked up her bread again, obviously finished with the conversation now.

Thorin could not return his concentration to his meal – his appetite lost as he thought about the only reason any of his dwarves would travel to the Shire. They would only go for Bilbo. Dwalin could be excused, Thorin knew that the warrior had developed feelings for Ori but the younger dwarf had shown little evidence of returning the affection. Even if he did he was too meek to seek Dwalin out and too well protected by his brothers for Dwalin to get to him which would have annoyed the proactive dwarf. Thorin had understood his desire to escape the mountain for a short time. He had thought he would be back by now though. Dwalin did not normally like to be away from his King, his home, or his training for long. Perhaps Balin had misled Thorin. For Ori to leave…no, it would be something else if Bofur left. Bilbo and Bofur had had a greater friendship than the hobbit did with Ori. Though they had bonded over books and history and Ori would be a better choice if Bilbo were unwell…. Maklon was one of Ori's contemporaries, both born close in age. Ori may have been the choice to ride with the healer because they would know one another and it would be too suspicious if Bofur missed his next journey to the Grey Mountains without a suitable excuse and Bofur. Perhaps sending Ori was the next best thing to Bofur going himself without informing everyone that Bilbo was ill.

Thorin pushed his plate away and shook his head. There were healers in the Shire who would know more about hobbit wellbeing that any dwarf. Thorin was decided – it had nothing to do with Bilbo. Perhaps Dwalin was unwell and the King was wrong about the affection between the two dwarves so Ori had rushed to help him. Thorin knew that had to be the reason. He pulled his breakfast back towards him and was about to take another mouthful when something occurred to him – what if the need for a dwarf healer was because Bilbo had caught something from the dwarves, or from Dwalin, something that the hobbits had no knowledge of, something they did not know how to treat.

Thorin pushed his breakfast away from him again knowing that no one would have told him if something was wrong with Bilbo. It was well known that they had parted on terrible terms and the hobbit had not given Thorin a chance to retract his words, or to apologise. Thorin had known that Bilbo ran away because he was hurt over what Thorin had said but the hobbit should have never offered to give away his family's legacy. Or at least, what Thorin had believed was his family's legacy. When he had recovered enough from his injuries in that final battle, once he had realised he had lost Bilbo forever, he had dispatched Kíli to the elves of Rivendell – he hated elves but his mother had once told him that if ever there was an elf to trust it would be Elrond. Thorin himself was not awed by having met the Elfish Lord but he had trusted his mother. Elrond had agreed to safeguard the stone and it had taken Thorin a long time to stop wishing that he could ride to Rivendell and collect the Arkenstone.

He stood up from the table, forgetting about his breakfast. "I am going to speak to Balin."

Dís smiled at him. "Not hungry?"

Thorin shook his head. "I will see you later in the council meeting."

Thorin left the breakfast room that was shared by all of the royal family, passing Kíli as he walked in to eat his own breakfast.

"What is wrong with Uncle Thorin?" Thorin heard his nephew ask but he was out of ear shot before his sister replied.

Thorin had planned to talk to Balin and find out everything he knew about his brother but as he was walking down the corridor he realised that Balin would never have allowed Ori or a healer to go to the Shire without him if there was something wrong with Dwalin. Dwalin and Balin, like all dwarfish siblings, were very close and Balin would have travelled day and night to get to his brother if he needed a dwarfish healer. That meant that the only possibility was that Bilbo, not Dwalin, had required the knowledge that could only be known by a dwarfish healer.

Thorin changed direction, heading to Bofur and his workroom instead.

The tinker and his brother both looked up when he walked into the room.

"Good morning, Sire," Bofur said.

Bifur muttered something in Khuzdul that Thorin could not quite catch before the other dwarf returned to the gold trinket he was making.

"Bofur, have you heard about Ori leaving?"

"Yes, he and Maklon left for the Shire over a week ago."

"Do you know why?"

"No."

"Really? You have had no word from the Shire?"

Bofur frowned at Thorin. "Why would I have had word from the Shire?"

"You and Bilbo were close."

Bofur froze and stared at Thorin. "You believe that Maklon travelled with Ori because Bilbo is sick?"

"I am simply making sure that my dwarves are not running around Middle Earth for no reason."

Bofur's mouth quirked. "I have not heard from Bilbo since the night that he left, after you banished him from this mountain."

Thorin's face tightened as he looked at the other dwarf. "You have not heard from him at all?"

"No, though Dwalin is still in the Shire, is he not? Perhaps Balin will know more."

Bifur stopped what he was doing to gesture at Thorin, bark out some words in Khuzdul and then slam his hand onto the table and then return to his work as though that was all that there was to say. Thorin frowned at him and then turned back to Bofur and nodded before he turned around leaving the Ur brothers behind to find Balin and find out what was going on between his mountain and the Shire.

Balin smiled at him when he opened the door. "What are you doing here, Thorin? The council meeting is not for hours."

"I heard that Ori had left for the Shire with a healer. Is something wrong with Dwalin?"

Balin's face grew very dire. "Not as far as I know. Why do you believe that something may be wrong?"

"Ori went with a healer; there are very few reasons that he would need a healer."

Balin relaxed and smiled at Thorin. "Ori and Maklon have been friends since they were only dwarflings. I believe that he is simply Ori's companion on the long journey."

"Why would Ori travel all of the way to the Shire if there was nothing wrong with Dwalin…or Bilbo?"

"I see," Balin said, "you are worried that Bilbo is unwell?"

Thorin stood up and folded his arms as he paced to the wall and back. "There must be a reason that one of our healers would leave when we have only just settled the new arrivals into their chambers and the eldest of our dwarves are still vulnerable."

"Glona and Gluna are still in the mountain and they are both more than capable of caring for every dwarf here," Balin pointed out. "You should have more faith in them."

Thorin narrowed his eyes at Balin and then sighed. "I have complete faith in them."

"Good, then Maklon leaving is not a problem. I am sure that we will not miss him too desperately. I know that Ori is alone in the library but I am sure he will make up any work he has missed when he returns."

"I am not worried about the work being done in the library. I know that Ori will make the library even greater than it once was – we have had meetings about his grand plans and I support him in them. I want to know why my dwarves are fleeing Erebor for the Shire."

Balin smiled but Thorin could tell that he was hiding something. "There is something that you are not telling me."

"If I were to be hiding something I would be doing so only to uphold my brother's confidence."

"Then Maklon did not go for Bilbo but for your brother."

"Maklon went with Ori; I do not believe that it has anything to do with either Dwalin or Bilbo."

Thorin smiled, believing Balin this time. "Very well, I will see you at the council meeting."

Balin nodded and stood. "After all, there is nothing in the Shire that you need to worry about anymore, is there?"

Thorin froze on the other side of Balin's chamber door, wondering at Balin's words – was there something that Balin knew that he believed Thorin would not be interested in because of his last conversation with the hobbit. He shook his head, Balin was simply still annoyed at Thorin for not taking his advice and going with him to collect Dís and speak to Bilbo. Bilbo would have always returned to the Shire and while Thorin was regretful that they had parted on bad terms he had always known that no matter what he had offered the hobbit Bilbo would leave eventually anyway.

Thorin made his way around the mountain, checking on the repairs occurring in a number of different areas of the mountain.

It was not until he saw Dori when he was getting some lunch that he allowed the doubts that were still in his mind to come to the top. He believed Balin would not lie to him but he would avoid telling Thorin something if he had a truly good reason for it. There had been something unsettling about the conversations he had had with Balin since Dwalin had decided to stay in the Shire. Thorin could not ignore his instincts anymore. He left the line for food and walked over to Dori, sitting down across from the grey-haired dwarf.

"King Thorin."

"Dori, I heard that your brother had left for the Shire."

Dori looked suddenly, overwhelmingly tired. "He has. Nori and I are going to go and collect him."

"Collect him?" Thorin asked, surprised by the phrase – as though Ori were not an adult dwarf. "Is there reason to collect him?"

"He…is not thinking sensibly," Dori said slowly.

Thorin wondered what could possibly be making a dwarf like Ori do something rash enough that his brother would feel he had to chase after him.

It offered him a perfect opportunity though.

Later that day, after the council meeting, while Thorin was going over a number of reports in his private chamber near the council room his sister burst through the door without knocking.

"Balin informed me of something very interesting," Dís said, striding to stand in front of Thorin.

"Did he?" Thorin asked, already knowing exactly what his sister was talking about.

"Apparently you are going to travel to the Shire with Ori's brothers to bring him home. That is awfully kind of you, so caring for your subjects."

"They assisted me in reclaiming this mountain. I think it is the least I can do in helping them reclaim their brother."

"Ori is older than Fíli, more than old enough to make his own decisions and more sensible than many a dwarf decades older than he is. He does not need to be reclaimed."

"His brothers are worried about him," Thorin explained.

Dís looked at him sceptically. "You could at least tell me the truth."

"What truth?"

"You are going for Bilbo. Honestly, you are much too stubborn for your own good. You should have gone to the Shire as soon as you were well enough to travel."

"Bilbo had always talked of nothing but returning to the Shire since he joined our company. He would have left regardless."

Dís folded her arms over her chest, glared at him, and waited silently. Thorin hated that look, it was the same one that his mother had given him when he had been a dwarfling and she knew he had done something wrong. Thorin refused to break under the look though, folding his own arms and glaring back at her.

"I know that you were scared to ask him to stay but he may have surprised you. At the very least then you could stop moping around this mountain wishing he were still here."

"I am not moping."

"You have been in a terrible mood since I arrived."

"I have been in a bad mood since Erebor fell."

"I am aware," Dís said, sighing, "and now you have it back and you are just as bad, if not worse when you should be happy...or at least happier."

"I reclaimed Erebor in the name of our line. I have been working towards that my entire life. I could not be more pleased with the achievement of my company of dwarves."

"And the hobbit, you cannot forget your fourteenth member."

Thorin glared at his sister. "I trust you will be happy to rule in my place while I am away. I will be taking Fíli with me and no doubt Kíli will decide to come too."

"No doubt," Dís agreed. "And I could rule as Queen of Erebor for the rest of my days, as you well know."

Thorin laughed, knowing that she could and that she would not want to. She enjoyed her role in the mountain too much to take on the role he had. He knew he could not rule without her and he never had to fear her attempting to steal his throne.

"I shall return before the Winter solstice," Thorin said.

"Try to return with a hobbit," Dís threw over her shoulder before she left the room.

Thorin hated it when she had the last word and it was his never ending bane that she often had the last word.

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	15. Chapter 15

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"It is official," Bilbo said, wriggling on the chair before the fire. Winter was firmly settling in now and the fire in front of him was one of many that were warming his hobbit-hole.

"What is official?" Dwalin asked, placing lunch down in front of Bilbo.

As soon as Violet had realised how terrible Dwalin was at cooking she had organised one of her cousin's daughters to come in and cook for them. Dwalin was grateful and he knew Bilbo was too – though the hobbit had never said anything about Dwalin's bland meals.

"This looks excellent," Bilbo said, smiling up at the dwarf. "Gardenia is a good cook."

"She is," Dwalin agreed. "Now, what is official?"

"I will be pregnant for the normal amount of time for a hobbit. Last week would have been when the babies should have been born if it was going to be a dwarf birth."

"How can you be sure?"

"Nine moons, you said dwarf pregnancies were nine moons. Well, from the last time that…well, the last time Thorin and I…you do know what I mean," Bilbo paused waiting for Dwalin's nod before he continued. "That was last week so it looks to be a hobbit pregnancy."

Bilbo was not sure if he was pleased about that or not – he could barely move but he had not grown much in the last month so the pain had not become any worse. It was reassuring to know that there was more hobbit to his children than anyone had believed. However, Bilbo longed for his ability to move around freely, to sleep on his back again, to eat more than a few mouthfuls at a time, to garden and cook and go down to the pub for a cider and gossip. He knew that a number of the things he would like to do would have to wait until his children were older but the desire to move without feeling like his stomach was going to fall off or the dwobbits were going to come tumbling out by accident was becoming overwhelming. He was even contemplating asking Gardenia to stay on to help him until he was used to being a father to twins. He did want Dwalin to get home to Ori as quickly as he could.

Dwalin was quiet as he ate though Bilbo could see him sneaking glances at Bilbo's ridiculously round middle as he ate.

Dwalin was contemplating the idea of Bilbo being pregnant for another three moons. Dwalin had never through that much about pregnancy since he knew that it would not be something he would ever get to experience. He had not expected to meet someone that he would wish to bond with for the rest of his days and due to an injury he had suffered during a battle he would never have a dwarfling of his own. Dwalin had long before accepted that he would not carry on his line and since Balin and his wife had not been blessed with children before her death it seemed that the House of In may end with him. At least directly – as his cousin Glóin already had a strapping son. Dwalin wondered if Ori would want dwarflings. The other dwarf would make a good father and Dwalin would…be interested in talking to him about it.

Bilbo put his plate on the table beside his chair having eaten only a few bites. Dwalin knew he would have to speak to Violet about the amount that Bilbo was eating. He did understand that there was less space for food with the size that Bilbo was now but Bilbo did not seem to be eating enough to keep him, and the babies, healthy. Dwalin was still thinking about what he was going to do when there was a series of sharp raps on the door.

"Are you expecting anyone?" Dwalin asked.

Bilbo shook his head.

Dwalin put his dinner on a table and hefted himself out of his overly comfortable chair. He had made it when he realised he was too big for any of Bilbo's chairs. Then the hobbit and Hamfast had modified it until it was covered in soft padding and fabric. It looked more like a hobbit chair now and Dwalin could not believe how comfortable it was to relax in in the evening. He walked to the door and pulled it open.

"Dwalin."

He froze, staring out of the door not believing his eyes. Then suddenly, his body came back to him and he stepped out of the doorway, yanking Ori to him, and kissing him fiercely. Ori melted into his arms, hands grabbing at him just as desperately as Dwalin was holding him. Dwalin heard someone speak but paid it no attention as he licked his way into Ori's mouth and twisted to press the smaller dwarf into the curved wall of the hobbit-hole doorway. Then he heard Bilbo's voice and he dragged his mouth away from Ori's. He then took notice of the other dwarf standing to his left looking uncomfortable as he heard the end of what Bilbo was saying.

"…come inside. Oh, they have come up for air."

Dwalin very reluctantly pulled away from Ori and turned to look at the dwarf that had obviously come with his Ori.

"My," Ori exclaimed, "Bilbo, you are pregnant."

Bilbo smiled. "I am, very."

Dwalin glared at the hobbit. "You are not supposed to be up and moving! How did you even get out here?" He turned around and slid his arm under Bilbo's elbow taking as much of the hobbit's weight as he could so that he could steer him back into the sitting room and the comfortable chair that Violet agreed he could sit in for one hour of every day.

"Is something wrong with Bilbo?" Ori asked, following behind Dwalin.

"The weight of the dwobbits is too heavy for him," Dwalin explained.

"Dwobbits?" Ori asked, confused.

Dwalin settled Bilbo and then tugged Ori into his abandoned seat. "There is more lunch, are you hungry?"

"Yes," the strange dwarf said, smiling at Dwalin tiredly.

"Who are you?" Bilbo asked. "I do apologise. I am Bilbo Baggins, welcome to my hobbit-hole."

The strange dwarf dropped into a low bow. "Maklon, son of Silon, at your service."

Dwalin looked at Ori, one eyebrow quirking.

"Maklon and I grew up together. He is a healer. My mother suggested he accompany me just in case."

Dwalin's stomach twisted. "Are you unwell? You did not say anything when you sent your crow."

"I am perfectly well though I think some food would be good. Perhaps I will come and help you."

Dwalin nodded and lead Ori into the kitchen. He pulled out the food that Gardenia had made and took out two plates.

"Dwalin, have you learned to cook more than your family's dishes?"

Dwalin laughed. "No, when Violet Gamgee found out I could only make a few things and was not good with food otherwise she sent Gardenia around. Bilbo is incapable of cooking now, can barely move under his own power."

"He is why you stayed? To help him?"

"He was pregnant and I could see he was struggling. I could not leave him. He did so much for us and, of course, they are Thorin's children as well."

"I thought as much," Dwalin knew that Ori was nervous about something and was making small talk to cover. Dwalin continued fiddling with the food while he waited for Ori to tell him whatever it was that had prompted him to come all the way to the Shire.

"I missed you," Ori said quietly.

Dwalin smiled at him broadly and then pulled the younger dwarf into a kiss. "I missed you too."

"There is something I need to tell you." Ori continued voice serious.

"I know."

Ori smiled weakly. "My brothers found out about our relationship after my mother arrived in Erebor." Dwalin knew that would have been difficult but he could tell that Ori was not finished yet. "My mother believes me that you are the finest dwarf I know however."

"That is good," Dwalin said, offering Ori a small smile.

"Dori and Nori kept telling me that you had abandoned me."

"Bilbo is truly in need of my help."

"I know – Balin said there was a good reason and I knew that you would not have stayed away from me without a good reason. Perhaps, if the…what did you call them? Dwobbits?" Dwalin nodded. "If the dwobbits are part dwarf Maklon may be able to help."

"Why did you travel with a healer, Ori?"

"My mother thought it best as I was travelling all the way here and…you see, I have complete faith in you but I am worried about telling you because we had never discussed…it is-"

"Ori," Dwalin said, pulling the younger dwarf close, "please tell me now before I begin to think something terrible."

"I am pregnant," Ori said and then closed his eyes.

Dwalin felt like his body had simply frozen, stopped working even while he could hear the beating…pounding of his own heart in his ears. This could not be true – he could not possibly get everything he could want in one dwarf that he loved so very much. To think that he could have a child and Ori was better than anything Dwalin would have wished for himself. Yet he did not understand Ori's reaction.

"Why are your eyes closed?" Dwalin asked, holding Ori even closer while he tried to believe what Ori had said.

"I have no idea," Ori said, opening his eyes and looking up at Dwalin. "I have been telling myself that you would be happy since my mother informed me that she recognised the signs."

"She knows?" Dwalin asked.

"She was very excited to be having a grandchild on top of having her sons all be part of the company that reclaimed Erebor – all of whom had been singled out by Thorin."

Dwalin smiled and kissed Ori. It was more than he had thought possible when he had left the dwarves from the Blue Mountains to stay with Bilbo. It was everything that he had hoped for since beginning a relationship with the scholar. Dwalin's life had never been so happy, nor gone so well, until he had met Ori.

"So," Ori asked, breathing a little heavily when they separated, "you are happy then?"

"Very," Dwalin said, kissing him again.

"Oh," a voice said behind them, "I keep catching you."

Ori laughed in Dwalin's arms and pulled away from him. "Maklon, is everything all right?"

"Bilbo said he would like to know what is going on in here but that he was not allowed to come in himself."

"I will just finish getting both of you something to eat," Dwalin said, turning back to the table. "Luckily for both of you Gardenia made the food."

"Dwalin makes some dishes incredibly well," Ori defended.

"And everything else poorly," Dwalin countered.

Maklon smiled at them both. "Then I am glad for Gardenia, whomever she is."

"Violet's cousin's daughter," Dwalin explained, putting the last of the food on the plates – making sure that Ori would get more. "Violet you will both meet tomorrow – she is the finest midwife in all of the Shire."

"Then she and I will surely have a lot to talk about." Maklon said accepting the plate with a smile. "Thank you."

Ori grabbed Dwalin's elbow and kept him from leaving the kitchen. "You did not need to give me more food, and I know you did."

Dwalin smiled. "I have some time to make up for; I should have been in Erebor seeing to your every need."

Ori shook his head. "You were assisting Bilbo Baggins; there is nothing that you need to make up."

Dwalin looked down at Ori, noticing now the slight curve to his abdomen. "Are you truly pregnant?"

"I would not lie to you," Ori said gently.

"No," Dwalin was quick to agree, "however this seems too good to be possible."

"And yet it is."

"Did you travel all this way simply to tell me? You could have sent word and I would have returned immediately."

"Seeing how Bilbo is struggling makes me glad that I did not. I will be honest with you though, Dwalin. My brothers were not pleased when they found out I was pregnant and have made their opinions regarding you very clear. I was utterly sick of them and of defending you so I decided...well, I do suppose that Balin prompted me, but I decided to come to you instead. There is nothing in Erebor that cannot wait until I return."

"I shall prove to them that they have no reason to doubt me ever again as soon as we return to Erebor. That cannot be until after Bilbo has the dwobbits though. He believes that it may be another three moons."

"That cannot be possible," Ori said with surprise, "he looks as though he is about to go into labour this moment."

"He is having twins, and hobbits are pregnant the length of a year. And I worry that his health will take time to bounce back and the small minded hobbits of the Shire do not have the compassion for him they should."

"Well I do not envy them that," Ori said. "But you are right – we shall have to stay until the dwobbits are born at least. I should be more than capable of travelling then."

"And we will make time when we get back to Erebor to organise a bonding ceremony and get moved into your rooms before the birth of our dwarfling."

"Yes," Ori agreed, kissing Dwalin.

"Are you coming back?" Bilbo called out.

Dwalin took Ori's plate and led him back to the sitting room.

Dwalin and Bilbo spent the afternoon telling Ori all that had occurred since Dwalin had arrived in the Shire. Maklon offered to assist Bilbo in any way he could with his more in-depth knowledge of dwarf pregnancies.

"Ori," Bilbo started, when they had explained everything, "why have you come to the Shire? I know that you and Dwalin are together but it is a long way to travel."

Dwalin could not keep the smile from his face or his hands from touching Ori.

Ori explained, with a beaming smile. "I am having my own little dwarfling and I wished to see Dwalin. I would have travelled much farther to have been able to see him again."

Bilbo's face turned sad and he tried to smile. "That is lovely, congratulations. Two pregnant people in the same hobbit-hole. Violet is not going to know what to do with herself when she comes in the morning."

"I think she will thoroughly enjoy it," Dwalin offered.

Bilbo nodded. "I am feeling quite tired now, I might go back to my bed. Violet would not be pleased to know that I been out of bed for so long today."

"No she would not, but you shall simply have to take it very easy tomorrow."

"Yes," Bilbo agreed, not meeting anyone's eyes.

Dwalin stood up and helped Bilbo to stand, carrying as much of the hobbit's weight as possible.

"Dwalin, you will make sure Maklon is settled in the other spare room for me? You will need some linen for the bed and I normally put out the green towels for that room."

"I will make sure he is settled."

Bilbo huffed. "I wish I could be their host. It just is not the hobbit way to leave someone else to look after your guests."

"Think of them as my guests so I should be looking after them," Dwalin said, settling Bilbo in the bed.

"I am going to need some of that root Violet mixed," Bilbo said, looking uncomfortable.

Dwalin frowned. "I should not have left you out there for so long."

Bilbo smiled. "You should go out there and worry about Ori instead of me."

Dwalin did not respond, not needing to point out that Bilbo needed it more than Ori.

"I will come back in with a cup of tea," Dwalin offered.

Bilbo smiled tiredly. "Thank you, Dwalin."

Dwalin made Bilbo his tea and gave him the dose of the boiled root before he made sure that Maklon would have somewhere to sleep.

"I might retire," Maklon said, looking between Dwalin and Ori. "Do you think Bilbo would mind if I borrowed a book?"

"Of course not," Dwalin said. "Help yourself."

Maklon selected a book and then slipped off to his room.

"I do believe they have all left so that we could be alone," Ori pointed out.

"Would you like to go for a stroll and see some of the Shire?"

"I do not believe we should leave Bilbo," Ori said, "perhaps you could show me your room."

"Yes," Dwalin said immediately, standing to bank the fire.

Ori took Dwalin's hand as the warrior lead him through the hobbit-hole. Dwalin threaded his fingers through Ori's as they walked towards the bedroom though the smaller dwarf pulled away at the bathroom to wash up while Dwalin stood just inside of his bedroom door and tried to think of what to do first. He should tidy up, or make the bed; perhaps he should change the sheets. He looked around the room he had lived in for the last few months and thought about Ori in this room with him and how much more that it would feel like a home if he could see Ori's boots next to the door or his coat over the back of the chair. They had not moved into the same chambers before Dwalin had left but neither had they spent a night apart in months either. He had missed the heat and feel of Ori's smaller body, his softer skin, and the way his hair would tickle at Dwalin's neck while he was falling to sleep. Dwalin had not allowed himself to miss Ori fully before but now he felt it all and knew that he would never again allow himself to be apart from his Ori for any time if he could help it.

Dwalin bent to pick up a boot he had toed off in the middle of the room but the door opened behind him before he could even grasp it.

"Were you tidying for me?" Ori asked after a silent moment.

"I was thinking about it," Dwalin admitted, tugging Ori closer. "But mainly I was thinking about you."

Ori smiled at kissed him. "Good thoughts?"

"They always are if you are in them. I have missed you terribly and shall never be parted from you again. I know I need to formally ask your mother and Balin but I wish to bond with you."

"She has already given her permission I believe," Ori said, "given that she encouraged me so to come and see you."

Dwalin pulled away only to tug Ori along with him to the bed. "This is my room."

Ori fell back into the bed and turned his head breathing in. "I have missed that smell – your pillow and your clothes have lost it."

"You have been wearing my clothes?" Dwalin asked, feeling something bright flare in his chest. He turned over and settled himself next to Ori holding his weight up on his elbow to peer down at the younger dwarf.

"You did not recognise your coat?" Ori asked, referring to the coat he had been wearing when he left Erebor that now hung next to Bilbo's door.

"I was too busy noticing the dwarf inside."

Ori beamed at him and pulled Dwalin down into a kiss, soft and sweet before he pulled away. "That is so much nicer with no one interrupting."

"It is," Dwalin agreed, leaning down to kiss Ori again. He kept kissing, licking into Ori's mouth, biting at his lips, relearning everything he could about the way Ori tasted and felt in his arms.

"Mahal, I missed you," Ori gasped out, pushing at Dwalin's jacket and shirt trying to get to the skin beneath.

"Stop that," Dwalin said gently. "It is you who should be stripped and then I can see the glorious changes that have occurred and worship them all."

Ori shook his head and kept pushing at Dwalin's jacket more roughly. He got the jacket off, dropping it down onto the floor and when he returned to try for the shirt Dwalin stilled his hand.

"I regret not seeing every change happen."

Ori paused, giving Dwalin enough time to push at his shirt until it was exposing the gentle dome of his abdomen. Dwalin bent down to kiss the skin knowing he would be returning to that spot repeatedly before the night was through. Dwalin placed one hand on either side of the swell and stroked the hairy flesh.

"Dwalin?" Ori asked, carding his hands into the warrior's hair.

"Mmmm," Dwalin asked, looking up without letting his lips leave Ori's skin.

"Are you going to stay there all evening? If you come all the way up here you can kiss me."

"I missed this growing," Dwalin said, kissing Ori's belly button and then around the slopes of his gently rounded stomach.

"There is more growing to come, now come up here and kiss me."

Dwalin obeyed his demand, gently pressing Ori down into the mattress and kissing him thoroughly. He could feel Ori's hands pushing at his shirt and wriggled until his chest was bare as well allowing Ori to have his way so that he could press his own bare skin to that of Ori, and could feel the swell and stretch of his Ori's skin through nothing but coarse hair. Dwalin slid a hand between them, pushing at Ori's breeches until they slid from between them and Dwalin could feel the entire curve of his abdomen.

"You are very focussed," Ori said breathlessly, as Dwalin stroked his skin.

Dwalin lifted off Ori and grinned at him. "Yes."

Ori sighed and shimmied out of his pants, kicking them off the bed. "Very well, have your way with me."

Dwalin smirked and set himself to kissing every bit of skin that he could reach until Ori was squirming and begging beneath him.

"Dwalin, please," Ori pleaded.

Dwalin smiled into the skin of Ori's stomach and nodded, wrapping his hand around Ori's length and stroking him while Ori curled around him.

"No," Ori said, pushing Dwalin's hand away with a sigh and twisted until he could grip them both. "Honestly, it has been months and then you tease me? And think I am not going to want you to come too? This is what I wanted, Dwalin, I wanted to feel you coming on me, with me. I wanted to touch you. I have missed your body as well."

"I love you," Dwalin said quietly, kissing the words out of Ori's mouth as the smaller dwarf kept stroking them.

Ori's free hand gripped Dwalin's hair, holding him close and keeping him in the kiss until he had to pull away to groan out his climax. Dwalin made sure to roll off Ori though he kept one hand on Ori's abdomen.

"You are going to be overly protective, I can tell."

"I wish to protect you and care for you – exactly how I felt before I left and how I shall feel long after we return to Erebor."

Ori smiled and twisted down to kiss Dwalin. "You are going to stay down there?"

Dwalin nodded. "I like it down here."

Ori smiled and threaded his fingers through Dwalin's hair, smoothing out the tangles. "I am so pleased that you are happy about this news."

"I never thought I would be a father," Dwalin explained, pressing his face into Ori's skin.

"You truly thought you would never find someone?"

"You do not understand me, I cannot have children. I was wounded in a battle a long time ago."

"Oh, Dwalin," Ori said, trying to pull the other dwarf up. Dwalin moved up and then kissed Ori. "I am sorry, Dwalin."

"I came to accept it a long time ago. I wanted you to know because I want you to know everything."

"But you want dwarflings?"

"As many as you will give me," Dwalin said, smiling down at Ori.

Ori smiled. "We will start with one and see how we go."

Dwalin smiled, kissing Ori and then wriggled down so that he could press more kisses to the curve of his middle. Ori was silent but he continued to run his fingers through Dwalin's hair.

"Tell me how you have been." Dwalin asked, a few minutes later.

"I felt unwell for a few weeks," Ori said, "that was how Mother knew I was pregnant."

"I did not just mean the pregnancy," Dwalin interrupted.

Ori smiled. "I know but I also know that you have missed a lot of moments that you would have preferred to be there for."

Dwalin shuffled up the bed and pressed his face into Ori's neck. "I want to know everything about you that I missed."

"Just as I want to know all about your time here in the Shire."

"Then you should start talking, it will be a long night."

Ori told Dwalin about the work he had done in the library and the efforts he had made in writing and illustrating the journey to reclaim Erebor. Then he started talking about being pregnant, skimming over as much of the tension between him and his brother as he could.

"You are hiding something from me, Ori."

"No."

"Your brothers know that you are pregnant and they dislike me. Tell me the truth, please."

"They believe that you took advantage of me – that you left me because you had everything you wanted from me."

"I would never have left you if I had known."

"I know, I told them that." Ori explained. "Dori is a stubborn dwarf."

"I am more stubborn and I am not going anywhere – and I will make him understand that when we return to Erebor."

Ori smiled at Dwalin sleepily.

"You should rest; you have travelled a long way."

"Tell me about the Shire."

"In the morning."

"Please," Ori said, yawning.

Dwalin smiled with resignation and talked quietly, telling Ori all about learning to garden with Hamfast until Ori started to snore quietly next to him. Dwalin waited until he was sure that Ori was asleep before he slipped further down the bed to where their dwarfling was growing.

"I am your other father, I know I have not been around before but I promise you I will never leave you again." Dwalin settled with his head resting above the swell and closed his eyes feeling Ori breath for a long time.

Later, Dwalin slipped from the bed while Ori slept. He went into the kitchen and put the soup Gardenia had made onto the fire to heat. He took a bowl to Maklon, still reading in his room, and then one to Bilbo. He found the hobbit talking quietly to his large, heavy abdomen though Bilbo stopped before Dwalin had stepped into the room. He found Bilbo doing that more as time passed though he had not been able to catch anything the hobbit said.

"Dinner," Dwalin explained, holding out the bowl.

"Thank you, Dwalin. You have them both settled?"

"Yes, is the pain gone?"

Bilbo nodded. "I am simply tired."

"I will come back to collect the plate."

"Do not bother," Bilbo said, accepting the plate. "Go and spend time with your Ori. The plate can be collected in the morning."

Dwalin nodded, knowing that Bilbo was dismissing him because even when Bilbo was in pain he disliked mess and would try to cleanup. If Bilbo did not want Dwalin to come back then it was not because he thought the dishes could wait but because he desperately wanted to be alone and undisturbed. Dwalin would have to speak to Ori about it in the morning.

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This is now all finished and is with my beta so it will just be a steady stream of updates until I have it all posted. Which will be the 31st with any luck *fingers crossed* and thank you all for your support!


	16. Chapter 16

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Thorin travelled from Erebor to the Shire with Ori's brothers, both of his nephews, and a small but determined contingent of warriors who had all been trained by Dwalin himself. They rode almost as hard as they had when they were on their way to reclaim their home. Thorin would have travelled more slowly but as they grew closer to the borders of the Shire Dori's impatience increased and they pushed themselves – travelling more swiftly the closer they got to Bilbo and Ori. They arrived on the borders of Bree well after dark one evening. Thorin felt the same reluctance he had been fighting with since they had left overwhelm him. He decided to stop in the town of Bree for the night.

"I do not wish to arrive in the dark; we will wait until the morning." Thorin decreed out loud. He needed more time.

"I do not want to wait until the morning," Dori argued.

"It is too late to disturb a respectable hobbit," Thorin said firmly and dismounted off his pony. He looked at the other dwarves that had travelled with them until all but Dori had dismounted.

"Dori," Nori started, looking up at his brother, "get down from your pony. Ori will be asleep; we shall go first thing in the morning."

"First thing," Dori said, voice a mix of questioning and demanding.

"Yes." Nori agreed.

"Very well," the grey haired dwarf said, slipping from his pony.

Thorin handed his reins to Gani, one of the dwarves of the Royal Guard that had travelled with him, and organised rooms for them all. They ate a small, late supper and retired to bed.

Thorin did not sleep, thinking instead about Bilbo and the fact that he would see the hobbit again the next day.

Thorin had hoped that Bilbo would have grown sick of the Shire and its comfort and rigid society, realising he was made for more than just sitting before his fireplace and growing old. Thorin had never actually believed it would happen however much he had wished that Bilbo would return to Erebor. The moment he has seen the hobbit he had known that he would not be suited to travelling with dwarves but Bilbo had proven him wrong. Thorin had believed that Bilbo would not last a day, let alone a week and yet he had pushed on through every trial, throwing himself between Thorin and Azog, risking his life when Thorin's own nephews had recognised a lost cause. Bilbo had surprised Thorin again when he has offered his body to the dwarf. Thorin could not have resisted the offer even knowing the pain that would come. First when Bilbo offered the Arkenstone, their most precious heritage, to Thorin's most hated enemy. Then when Bilbo had slipped away without giving Thorin an opportunity to apologise or tell him that he was sorry. Thorin had intended, foolishly, to ask Bilbo to stay but the hobbit had left before he could. Thorin knew that was all the answer that he would need. Bilbo did not love him and would never have stayed.

Thorin knew that and he used the night not in sleep but in preparing himself to see the hobbit again. It was the dwarf's pain that he had never loved, would never love, another as he loved his hobbit.

Thorin went to breakfast the next morning feeling strung out and tired but prepared to see Bilbo with a heart braced against seeing Bilbo again.

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	17. Chapter 17

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Bilbo hated that he was barely allowed to walk anywhere now and he was wondering if he would be able to last the remaining two months of his pregnancy. He had long ago stopped being thankful that his children would be hobbitish the longer he was forced to lie in bed all day. Violet had finally agreed to let him outside but only if he allowed Dwalin and Maklon to carry him the whole way. It was an indignity he hated but as the first warmth from the sun sank into his weary bones he had decided that it was worth it. Ori was settled next to him with knitting needles and bright green wool while Dwalin followed all of Hamfast's instructions and they worked the earth. Maklon and Violet were having yet another discussion about child birth and pregnancy but they had at least decided to stroll while they did so this time. Bilbo looked forward to meeting his children but he did not wish to think about how they would ultimately get here.

Bilbo was dozing. He could fall asleep anywhere and anytime at the moment. It did not matter if he had just woken up in the morning he would fall asleep if he was still for all of three minutes.

There was a commotion down in the lower part of the garden but it simply sounded like Hamfast was grumbling about something so Bilbo ignored it.

He thought he was dreaming. He loved these dreams, where Thorin was here with him in the Shire. The last time he had dreamed of the dwarf king Thorin had held him close when he understood what was happening, professed his love, explained that he had realised he could not live without Bilbo. His favourite dreams always involved Thorin's hand smoothing over the swell of his stomach - their children moving under their dwarf father's hand with excitement. Bilbo's stomach was calm though as the dream threaded with the warm winter sun around him until he thought he could hear Ori speaking. No one else was ever in these dreams though.

Bilbo's heart stopped when he heard… "Bilbo!" Followed swiftly by Dori and Nori calling out something but Bilbo could not even hear them. He opened his eyes to find Thorin striding towards him, face like thunder with a slight hitch in his step to the left and looking even more tired and haggard than he had the last time Bilbo had seen him.

"Thorin?" Bilbo asked, voice breaking.

Thorin stopped before Bilbo completely shading the hobbit from the sun.

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	18. Chapter 18

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Thorin had not believed his own eyes when he saw Bilbo sitting in his garden. The hobbit had not left him because he was angry at Thorin - he had left so that he could…Thorin had to get closer so that he could be sure. He walked towards Bilbo, noting the way his hands were curled possessively around the swell of his middle. The hobbit was resting back on a blanket beneath a well grown apple tree. Thorin could not pull his eyes away from the swell of Bilbo's abdomen while he thought back to the last time they had lain together and then counted.

With every step he thought about everything that had happened, everything that he had thought he understood and he saw nothing but red by the time he made it to Bilbo.

"How dare you," he bellowed, the moment he was standing in front of Bilbo.

The hobbit struggled to sit up, glaring at him. "How dare I? What are you doing here, Thorin?"

"I came to rescue Ori."

"I do not need rescuing." Ori said indignantly.

"I can see that now," Thorin said harshly, looking at Ori. "So this is why you travelled with a healer, why Dwalin did not journey back to Erebor?"

Ori stood up and came to stand next to Bilbo, his expression defensive.

"Ori," Dori said, but the librarian held up his hand to stop him from talking.

"I travelled with a healer because I am pregnant. The fact that he has been so helpful since we have been in the Shire is a very happy coincidence."

"You are pregnant?" Thorin asked, momentarily distracted from the broken expression on Bilbo's face.

"Of course, I came to tell Dwalin."

Thorin turned from Ori and looked at Bilbo again. "So not only did I not understand your nature, Bilbo Baggins, pretending to be a respectable hobbit who had not, who told me he had never…you were betraying me with my most trusted of friends?"

"What?" Bilbo asked, struggling to his feet. "I never betrayed you, you banished me."

"So you thought to get back at me with Dwalin?"

"Thorin, I think you misunderstand," Dwalin said, coming over and gripping Bilbo's elbow protectively.

"Dwalin, I can see perfectly clearly."

"No, you do not," Dwalin said again. "Bilbo did not betray you, you are the other father."

"I…" Thorin looked down at Bilbo's stomach and shook his head. "That is impossible I may have been deceived about Bilbo's honour but I am not incapable of counting."

"What is all of this ruckus?" a female hobbit asked, cresting the hill with a dwarf that had to be Maklon.

"That is King Thorin Oakenshield," Maklon explained, "King Under the Mountain."

"So you finally returned to deal with the consequences of your actions." The she-hobbit said, glaring at him fiercely.

"My actions, Bilbo is the one who-"

"Has had to deal with the physical trials of a hobbit-dwarf pregnancy? And the fact the dwarf father is a complete scoundrel."

"I am not a scoundrel," Thorin defended automatically. "If anyone is a scoundrel it is Dwalin."

"Dwalin, who stayed here with Bilbo and left his love behind?" Violet scoffed. "You are even more ignorant that I would have believed."

Thorin glared down at the she-hobbit who folded her arms across her chest and glared right back.

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	19. Chapter 19

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Dwalin had always been loyal to his King but he was not ignorant to Thorin's shortcomings and he had never seen them more clearly than he did now. He had seen how distrustful Thorin was, how quick to believe the worst, when Thorin had banished Bilbo from Erebor before the battle. The way that Thorin was now looking at Bilbo was even worse than that.

"Can you stand alone?" Dwalin whispered to Bilbo who nodded and seemed to find strength from somewhere to stand more steadily.

Dwalin stepped away from Bilbo and stood next to Violet, realising again that he towered over her but she would never allow anyone to see her as anything less than she was.

"King Thorin," Dwalin said firmly, yanking Thorin's gaze back to him. "You have not thought about the fact that hobbits are not dwarves and they are pregnant for longer than any dwarf."

Thorin looked unsure but he was a prideful dwarf and would not give in that easily.

Dwalin continued. "I stayed in the Shire because I could see that Bilbo needed help. I was unaware that Ori was pregnant as well or I would have never stayed here – I would have asked Balin to stay in my place and returned to Ori's side. Bilbo struggled because we dwarves as so very much more sturdy than hobbits are."

Violet huffed next to him. "Not sturdier, apparently your King's head is full of rocks; which certainly does not help. You dwarves have dense bones. It is a disgrace how little you know about yourselves."

Dwalin chose not to comment. "Ori travelled to the Shire with Maklon because he is pregnant and his mother did not want him to be alone."

"Mother knew?" Dori asked, breaking in over the top of what Dwalin was about to say.

"Of course she knew," Ori said. "She agreed that you were being completely unreasonable and I needed to leave."

"I was being unreasonable?" Dori asked, stalking forward Dwalin and glaring at him. "You left him pregnant and alone."

"I was unaware he was pregnant and I told him I would be back," Dwalin pointed out, momentarily distracted from his King who was looking past him towards Bilbo.

"Which I told you," Ori said, coming to stand next to Dwalin. "He and I are going to be bonded as soon as we returned to Erebor and you will not stand in our way."

Dori glared. "You cannot."

"We certainly can," Dwalin said.

Dori's face grew very red and he poked Dwalin in the chest. "I will defend the honour that you stole from my brother in combat and when I win you shall have to stop stringing him along."

Dwalin was rendered speechless. He looked at Ori only to find him looking just as perplexed as Dwalin. He turned back to Dori expecting the older dwarf to have rethought his decision to issue such a challenge to the head of the Royal Guard and the veteran of so many campaigns but Dori looked just as determined as he had been when he delivered the challenge.

"Dori, I think you should think about that," Nori offered, coming over to stand with his brother. "Dwalin has obviously not abandoned Ori – look at what is in front of you, brother. If Ori wants Dwalin and Dwalin is going to bond with him then you cannot stand in their way."

"Thank you, Nori," Ori said, smiling at his brother. He stepped forward and grabbed Dori's elbow. "We need to speak, Dori, please?"

Dori nodded and allowed Ori to tug him away which left Dwalin torn. He was not sure if he should follow behind his Ori or remain to deal with Thorin. Ori saved him from having to decide when he turned around, looked at Dwalin, and nodded at their King. Dwalin stayed where he was and looked at Thorin. The King was looking much more contrite and more unsteady than he had before Dori had interrupted things.

"Thorin," Dwalin started.

"I am to be a father?" Thorin asked quietly.

"One of them," Bilbo said, defensively. "Though you have shown how very little regard you had for me if you think that I would betray you as you betrayed me."

"I have not lain with anyone else since before I arrived at your door."

"I do not mean infidelity. I mean that you value your pride, your jewels and riches above me and my opinion. I tried to save you from going to war and you banished me."

"I did not mean…I did not want you to leave."

"You told me to get out of your sight, Thorin Oakenshield; there is no other way for me to take that except that you wished for me to leave."

"The Arkenstone was the heart of our mountain, was the greatest treasure of my family."

"And it called a dragon to your door and ensured that your people would end up in exile. It is not worth being coveted but it did show me how little value you placed on me and how empty all of your pretty phrases had been."

"I never uttered an empty phrase."

"And yet you tell me that you wanting me out of your sight was empty?"

Thorin huffed. "I did not mean that. I did mean that at the time, I was angry at you for siding with my greatest enemy and offering him the jewel of our mountain but I did not actually wish for you to leave."

"Then you should not have ordered me to."

Dwalin could see Thorin's frustration rising – the King had never been one for words, preferring action but it was clear now that he did not know what to say to Bilbo to explain himself. Dwalin did not want to get in the middle of them…unless it was needed to protect Bilbo, but he felt he could not resist saying something. "I do believe that Thorin means that he was caught in the moment but that he wanted you to stay in Erebor and forgot that in the face of your actions."

"I shall not apologise for attempting to save your life and that of all of the other dwarves who would have been lost in a battle against both men and elves," Bilbo said firmly. "I never shall."

"Uncle sent the Arkenstone away not long after the battle," Fíli offered stepping forward from where he and Kíli were standing at watching. He smiled at Bilbo carefully. "He really has regretted you leaving."

"He has been in a horrible mood ever since," Kíli threw in.

"You sent the Arkenstone away?" Bilbo asked.

Thorin's face turned mulish for a long minute before it cleared and whatever battle he had been fighting with himself was decided one way or the other. "The Arkenstone holds power over my people and I do not like being controlled by anything. I chose to send it away rather than allow myself to be lost to it."

Bilbo was silent. Dwalin watched his face while the hobbit stared at the King.

"Master Baggins," Fíli said, after several long minutes though once the words were out of his mouth he looked like he was no longer sure what he had intended to stay. "Are you well, you look pale."

Bilbo shook his head. "Now that you have seen for yourself that Ori does not need rescuing you can return to your beloved mountain."

"I am not leaving," Thorin said. "Not now that I know the truth, you should know me at least enough to know that I would never leave you alone at a time like this."

Bilbo's face fell. "Yes, I do suppose you would feel obliged to stay now."

"I am going to be a father. You did not think I would want to know?"

"I could not have travelled back to Erebor had I wanted to."

"But you did not want to."

"I knew what my reception would be," Bilbo said.

"If you had sent word then I would have come for you," Thorin said gruffly.

"You asked me to never contact you again."

"Well, I am here now and you shall not get rid of me."

"Yes, I can see that and while I cannot stop you from staying in the Shire I am not going to welcome you into this hobbit-hole. It is time for us to go inside, perhaps you could return to Bree to find some rooms."

Dwalin knew that Bilbo must be feeling the strain of all of this action if he was asking Thorin to leave.

Violet looked at Bilbo for a moment and then nodded and rounded on Thorin. "You will not upset Bilbo anymore. If you make him have these dwobbits early I will visit a wrath on you that you will not be able to escape even in your mountain."

Dwalin bit back a rueful smile; even he would not wish to step on Violet's bad side.

"Dwobbits? More than one?" Thorin asked in a weak voice.

"Yes," Bilbo confirmed, somewhat defensively. "Two in fact."

"Bless Mahal," Fíli said, grinning broadly.

"You are pleased?" Bilbo asked Fíli, voice softer with surprise.

"Course, I do not care if they will be king, I never truly wanted it and twins are a blessing from Mahal himself."

Bilbo seems to deflate into his spot as though he had been terrified that Fíli and Kíli would be upset about the dwobbits.

"No one believed I would ever have children," Thorin offered quietly. He stepped back and bowed. "I will be at the Inn if you change your mind and would care to speak with me more." With that he turned and left, leaving Fíli and Kíli standing awkwardly.

"He has truly missed you, Bilbo," Fíli said.

"Yes," Kíli agreed, "he has been a terribly grumpy soul since you left. Even Mother asked me to try to make sure he did not ruin everything for she wishes to meet you greatly."

"But we will leave you to rest." Fíli added, looking at Bilbo with dawning understanding. "We would like to return tomorrow if you would agree, without Uncle if you prefer," Fíli said, bowing to Bilbo.

"Oh, yes," Bilbo agreed readily, "you are both most welcome in my home. I will think about Thorin."

Fíli and Kíli nodded and said their goodbyes.

Bilbo turned as soon as they were out of sight to look at Violet. "Violet, I know that was very unhobbitlike but-"

Violet cut him off sharply. "I do not agree. You have your health to worry about. It is time for tea and rest."

"Yes, Maklon and I will carry you inside," Dwalin said, noticing that Bilbo appeared to be getting paler as each second passed. "Come Maklon."

The healer immediately stepped over to help and they again lifted Bilbo and moved him inside quickly while Violet rushed into the kitchen to get Bilbo something to settle his nerves and help with whatever strain Thorin's arrival had put on the pregnant hobbit.

"Dwalin, you need to go and find Ori and his brothers. I am quite settled and I am sure that Violet will not be leaving me alone for the rest of the afternoon."

Dwalin nodded, knowing that he did need to find Ori and his brothers. "Maklon, if anything happens fetch me immediately."

Maklon nodded and set himself to making Bilbo comfortable while Dwalin left, checking in with Violet quickly but she too thought he should go and find Ori.

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	20. Chapter 20

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Bilbo desperately wished that everyone would leave him be. Maklon had been sitting next to him since he had settled on the bed though at least Bilbo had been able to send Dwalin off.

"You do not need to sit with me, Maklon, I am quite well – much more so than I thought I would be."

Maklon did not look convinced.

"You surely have something better to do than sitting with me while I rest."

"Will you be resting, Bilbo?"

"Oh yes, this morning took a lot out of me – I will have the tea Violet is making and then close my eyes."

Maklon thought about it for a few moments, then he nodded and stood up. "I will be in the sitting room if you need anything."

"Thank you," Bilbo said, glad that he could finally relax. Now only to get rid of Violet – Bilbo knew that it would not be as easy to get the other hobbit to leave him alone. He closed his eyes and rested back against his pillows, unable to get the image of Thorin as the dwarf stood above him out of his mind. Thorin had been so angry when he had seen Bilbo, so convinced that the hobbit had been unfaithful while they had been on the road – or perhaps only after Bilbo had left. Though the way he had looked at Bilbo towards the end, especially when Dwalin and Dori had been arguing had been heartbreaking in a way Bilbo was still unsure of. Bilbo had wanted to believe that when Thorin found out about the babies he would have been over the moon – explaining that he had been wrong and wanted to be with Bilbo. Bilbo twisted further into the pillow under his head and let the pain wash over him.

"I know you are upset, Bilbo," Violet said, startling him. "However, I think perhaps you should wait until you speak to Thorin again before you lose all hope."

Bilbo sniffed and twisted around to look at her. "You hate him."

"But I was watching him and I think he is hurting too. He is no better than any other male at hiding his emotions. Perhaps you should hear him out."

"He thought I was an unfaithful cad who would sleep with Dwalin and he banished me because of a gem – a shiny, pretty **gem**."

"You are hurt, rightfully so, however you might regret remaining angry forever – it is not a healthy way to live your life."

"Violet, he…"

"I know," Violet said, smoothing a hand through his hair. "Drink your tea. I am going to go and knit in the sitting room while you rest. If you need anything please call."

Bilbo nodded and sat up slightly to sip at his tea knowing it would ease some of the tension in his abdomen. His lower back was in spasm now that he was lying down and he had a headache. He knew he would not sleep though, instead lying back down when he was finished with his tea. He could not think of anything but Thorin. He was not sure why Violet was suddenly his advocate but something about it would not leave his mind.

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	21. Chapter 21

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Dwalin found Ori and his brothers exactly where he had expected to; down by the river where they went to sit most afternoons. The warrior took a deep breath and walked towards them.

"Dwalin," Ori said, rushing over to him. "How is Bilbo?"

Dwalin smiled. "Upset, but he is in Violet's care."

Ori sighed. "I wish our King had handled that more delicately. It is clear to anyone that has been in Erebor had he misses Bilbo and is in love with him."

Dwalin saw Dori and Nori talking over Ori's shoulder. "I can only hope that Thorin will act with more sense next time."

Ori turned to follow Dwalin's gaze and sighed. "Dori is still worried that you are going to treat me poorly."

"Does he still wish to fight?"

Ori looked upset. "He will not retract the challenge."

"He is aware that I could kill him."

"He is stubborn and wants to protect me."

"Right," Dwalin said, kissing Ori quickly and striding towards Dori. "Dori, we need to speak and end this."

Dori nodded. "I will get my weapon."

"No," Dwalin said firmly. "I will not hurt you because it would only hurt Ori. What do you need me to do to prove to you that I love your brother?"

Dori looked surprised. "What?"

"I will do anything you ask of me to prove that I am not toying with Ori, so long as it is neither illegal nor anything that will hurt Ori."

"And asking him to leave me would hurt me," Ori threw in, smiling at Dwalin.

Dori looked at Nori.

"I believe him, brother, but I will help you think of things that he must do to prove himself," Nori said.

"We will not be lenient on you simply because you suggested it," Dori told Dwalin.

"Of course not."

"And I want time to think on this."

"Take as much as you like, I am not going anywhere." Dwalin said with a smile.

Dori was silent for a few minutes as he thought about the proposal.

"Very well. We will come back tomorrow with a list of trials," Dori said. "Ori, you will come back with us?"

"No," Ori said firmly. "I will be staying here with Dwalin. We will pass any trial you put in front of him."

Dwalin smiled at Ori's 'we' while he looked at Dori.

Dori looked like he wished to argue but then he sighed and nodded. "Very well."

"I will see you tomorrow," Ori said. "We will come to the Inn to have lunch?"

Nori smiled brightly. "We would like that."

"As would I," Dwalin said, smiling brightly at Dori.

The grey-haired dwarf looked unsettled but he allowed Nori to say their goodbyes and drag Dori from the river side.

"They are going to come up with horrible trials," Ori said.

"I do not care," Dwalin said, shrugging. "Shall we wander down the river? I know that Bilbo wanted to be alone."

"Should he be left alone though?"

Dwalin nodded. "Maklon and Violet are still there. I wish to know what you think we can do to help Bilbo and Thorin."

"You are so much sweeter than my brothers know. You should have asked me that when they were still here."

Dwalin smiled and bent to kiss Ori. "It would not do my image any good if dwarves thought that I was attempting to play matchmaker for our King."

Ori smiled and tugged on Dwalin's hand to walk to a good spot on the river to sit and talk.

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	22. Chapter 22

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Thorin wanted to throw something at the wall. He wanted to break something and there was nothing of his own that he could smash, that he could destroy to relieve his own guilt over once again acting so poorly with Bilbo. Thorin loved him and he had accused the hobbit of cheating, of...Thorin gripped the boot on the floor and heaved it at the wall.

"Well, that was a poor attempt at winning him back," Fíli said walking into the room. He paused and looked down at the boot in front of him and then lifted one eyebrow.

Sometimes Thorin wished his nephew was less like his mother.

"You will have to work even harder to win Bilbo over now," Fíli pointed out. "I will not return to mother without him. Especially not now that he is carrying your heirs."

Thorin paused in his self-recrimination for a moment to look at Fíli. "There is no reason that you should still not inherit the throne."

"They are your direct descendants."

"And you have been raised expecting to be King. I would not take that from you when I know you will make an excellent leader of our people. You are too much like your mother to do anything less."

"You owe me nothing, Uncle."

"I owe you a lot, I have thought of you and your brother as more sons than nephews for a long time and I would not wish to alter that."

"Nothing shall, Uncle."

Thorin nodded and allowed himself to sink back into unwanted remembrances of his behaviour.

"What will you do to repair things with Bilbo?"

Thorin heaved an almighty sigh. "I do not know. I know only that when I attempt to speak with him I only upset him more."

"And that he cannot handle in his condition."

Thorin looked at his nephew sharply. "What do you know?"

"Only what you yourself saw, he is struggling, weak and in pain. He tried to hide it valiantly but nothing could hide it for any length of time. Dwarf twins are not what the hobbit body was designed to carry."

Thorin nodded, having known and yet feared the confirmation of everything that Fíli had said. "So much pain for something so joyous."

Fíli smiled. "Perhaps you should write down things like that instead of speaking to him directly."

Thorin looked at Fíli as he thought on that idea. ah hah! brilliant idea, Fíli!

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	23. Chapter 23

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Kíli put two pints of ale down on the table.

"How are we going to fix this?" The dark haired dwarf asked.

"Why ask me?"

"You are older and wiser."

"Just yesterday you told me I was stupider than a donkey's backside."

"That was yesterday," Kíli said with a shrug. "Today we have to fix Thorin and Bilbo so that we may save every dwarf in Erebor from Thorin's melancholy."

"Bilbo may no longer want him," Fíli said. "Uncle Thorin has treated him poorly."

Kíli huffed. "I would hope that hobbits are not that changeable in their affections, although...actually, if he has given Thorin up I could not blame him."

"It is a good thing Mother sent some jewels and other fine items in my luggage. We may be able to help Uncle woo Bilbo back."

"I do not know if Bilbo could be bought so easily."

Kíli shrugged. "I only grabbed things with brass buttons."

Fíli laughed loudly and took a long swig of his ale. "This is good."

Kíli nodded. "The publican was telling me that the husband of that she-hobbit who stood up to Uncle today makes it."

"Let us hope she never meets Mother."

Kíli nodded. The brothers lapsed into silence though thoughts of little dwobbit cousins and angry hobbits were never far from their minds.

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	24. Chapter 24

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Thorin could not sleep again that night, thinking about Bilbo and his actions. He wished to be at Bag End, to be able to see and touch Bilbo, his Bilbo. He knew he would not be welcome. Bilbo would not readily welcome him back to his home, nor his life but Thorin could not even contemplate not winning the hobbit back over now. To know that he had a chance to be a father, something that he had believed bitterly that Smaug had taken away from him along with his home! It had all been given back to him by Bilbo. Bilbo who beat the dragon, who saved Thorin's life, who had given Thorin more than he had believed he would ever be worthy of. And now Thorin had ruined it all, he had pushed the hobbit beyond even the politeness that Thorin had believed was as Bilbo's very core.

In a time after the moon had reached its apex but before the sky lit with the new sun Thorin threw off any hope of sleep and climbed from his bed, lighting candles and hunting for parchment. Beneath the window, holding a quill made for men's hands he set himself to writing. In the morning the floor around him was littered with dismissed versions and he was painstakingly writing out a good version – cobbled together from the bones of his earlier attempts.

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	25. Chapter 25

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Fíli and Kíli set off for Bag End the next morning as soon as they had eaten breakfast, dispatched by Thorin with a thick envelope that was to be given to Bilbo and no other.

They walked slowly, in no great rush to impose on Bilbo. Strolling past the farms and sights they had no time for, nor interest in, when they were last in the Shire. Eventually, they had no choice but to walk up to Bag End's door and knock.

The she-hobbit from the previous day opened the door. She looked at them both without saying a thing for so long that Fíli could not resist fidgeting.

"You will not upset him or you will not be allowed back. Bilbo and his babes are in my care and I will do whatever I have to to ensure they are both well and healthy and that uncle of yours did not help yesterday."

Fíli frowned. "Is Bilbo unwell?"

"He is under a lot of strain."

Fíli and Kíli shared a look; Fíli could see the same worry that was in his mind on Kíli's face.

"What can we do to help?" Kíli asked.

"Do not upset him, do whatever you can to keep him calm. He is very close to giving birth and having dwarfish babes is not good for his body. You will do whatever you can to help him."

Kíli nodded, his face serious. Fíli knew that he was thinking about the letter that suddenly felt heavy in Fíli's pocket. They could not in good conscience refuse to give it to the hobbit but they would need to choose the right moment.

After a few more instructions from Violet, who introduced herself with a blush and an apology for not having done so before, they walked down the hallway to Bilbo's room only to find the hobbit snoring where he lay. They closed the door again and went to sit with Violet in the sitting room.

"Thorin is your uncle and family is more important than anything else." Violet said.

"Thorin truly does care for him," Fíli explained immediately. "He is not...he is...a good uncle, a good dwarf, and a good King."

Violet went back to her knitting with almost no reaction. Fíli looked at his brother who shrugged and went back to whittling something from a large piece of firewood.

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	26. Chapter 26

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Dori and Nori had discussed what they would ask Dwalin to do the day before and they were both up early in the morning waiting impatiently for Dwalin and Ori to arrive. Dwalin was dressed for battle when he walked through the front door of the inn but he looked more relaxed that Dori would have expected. A few of the patrons turned to look at the warrior and the younger dwarf standing next to him but it was too early for hobbits and most of the beings there did not want to be involved in anyone else's business.

Dori nodded at Dwalin and then led the way to the small sitting room that Thorin has organised for the sole use of his dwarves. The dwarf king was nowhere to be seen as they took seats around the table. A few minutes later food and drink were placed on the table and they all set themselves to eating.

Dori was displeased to notice that Dwalin was not affected by nerves as he ate heartily. He also noted that the warrior placed all of his apple onto Ori's plate and Ori shared his ham in turn. Dori found he could not focus on the food in front of him with Dwalin and Ori across from him. Ori's elbow was pressed into Dwalin's as they were using their outside hands to eat. They were sitting close, not truly paying attention to one another but they appeared to be always aware of the other next to them. It was not the way that Dori had believed Dwalin would act. The warrior was not one to participate in physical contact. While they had been journeying he had kept his distance from everyone if there was not a fight to be had and yet Dwalin did not seem to notice, nor care, that the youngest Ri brother was within his personal space. Everything Dori was seeing made him wonder what had altered the dwarf. The Head of the Royal Guard was steadfast and immovable – he had no compassion for anyone that was not his brother. Dwalin had not cared what cause a dwarf had for doing something nor the severity of what they did as he would never bend enough to be lenient with anyone. He had once arrested Fíli with no care to the fact that he was the King's heir; though both Thorin and Dís had agreed with his actions and had even made Fíli remain in the gaol for longer than was required for so minor a misdemeanour. Dwalin had never been known to spend time with anyone and there had never been even the hint that he would allow someone close enough to get past the wall that he had erected to keep him from other dwarves.

Yet here he was sitting so comfortably with Ori as though they did it constantly, as though they had spent a great deal of time together when it was obvious that they could not have – that they could not have hidden such a deep comfort from everyone for so long. Dori could not believe that his brother would manufacture the comfort he was in with Dwalin and yet Dori did not know how he could have been deceived by him while they had been at home in Erebor. They were too at ease with one another – acting more like a couple long bonded than two dwarves that had barely been able to spend time together. They did not act like dwarves that were only physically intimate and yet Dori found it hard to believe that his brother would lie to him if he was truly in love and in a relationship even if it was with Dwalin.

Dori did not understand.

"Are you not hungry, Dori?" Ori asked, yanking his older brother out of his musings.

"No," Dori said, pushing his plate away.

Ori frowned at him for a moment and then turned to catch Dwalin's eye. Dwalin smiled at him with a little lift to his shoulders. Ori turned back to Dori, ignoring his own food. "Are you well?"

"Quite, just…how long have you been involved with Dwalin?"

Ori's frown deepened. "Since the night that Bilbo left."

"And which of you proposed the…relationship?"

"I did," Ori explained. "I could not watch Bilbo walk away from the dwarf who he had loved but had been treated so poorly by without at least telling Dwalin that I had feelings for him. I was lucky that he returned them."

"Impossible not to," Dwalin said gruffly, not looking away from Ori.

Something heavy and foul began to settle in Dori's stomach. "So it was you that chased Dwalin?"

"As I tried to tell you," Ori reminded, but there was no heaviness in his tone.

Dori nodded but kept silent and after a few minutes everyone returned to their eating. As soon as they were done Dwalin stood up and looked at Dori and Nori in turn.

"I believe you have a task for me to complete."

"Yes," Nori said, rubbing his hands together.

Dori knew that Nori was looking forward to a little revenge on Dwalin but Dori was not sure what to say now that he was faced with the realisation that he may have been wrong about all of this.

"We have decided that you need to create something," Nori said.

Dwalin frowned at him. "What?"

"It is no secret that the House of In has not been graced with a great skill with metal. You have to create something that will win Thorin's Royal Tinker Contest." The two Ri brothers had discussed ideas for a task at length but they were all too easy, too quick. Dori was sure that Ori would think he had to help Dwalin and that meant that they could not pick anything physical or intellectual. It had not been easy to decide on something but in the end they had found something that would take enough time for Dori to try and convince Ori he should rethink his decisions about Dwalin. It would also give them time to see if perhaps Ori had made the right choice – Nori had been most insistent that they did not discount that possibility.

Dwalin looked truly stunned and Ori glared fiercely at both of his brothers. "That is not fair."

"I will do it," Dwalin agreed readily.

"Dwalin," Ori said, turning to the other dwarf. "You do not have to complete this task."

"I will."

"I do not care if they give me their blessing, I will bond with you regardless." Ori stated, glaring at his brothers.

"I know," Dwalin said softly. "However I do not want you to deal with the tension that would then exist between you and your brothers."

Ori's face softened and he darted forward to kiss Dwalin. Then he turned on his brother's with a glare. "I will be helping him."

"You have my support," Dori said before he had even really thought the words. He could not tell who looked more surprised of the four of them but he knew it must be him.

"Dori?" Nori and Ori asked together.

Dori paused to collect his thoughts and then looked at Dwalin. "If you hurt him I do not care if you are the Head of the Royal Guard or the most well-known warrior in Erebor I will find a way to have revenge."

"As you should." Dwalin said, looking at Dori carefully.

Dori nodded, pleased. "However, now that I have seen you together you have my support."

"Oh, Dori," Ori said, standing to embrace his brother. "Thank you."

"You still need to complete our challenge," Nori said. "I do not think I will give my support until you have."

"Nori," Ori reprimanded just as Dwalin agreed readily to do so. Ori sighed and turned to Dwalin. "You do not need to do that."

"If it will completely prove to them both that I am serious then I will." Dwalin said, folding his arms across his chest.

"We will be bonded by the time the contest starts." Ori argued.

"I do hope so but I will do it anyway." Dwalin conceded, smiling softly.

Ori threw his hands up with a huff. "Oh, Mahal, save me from stubborn dwarves."

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	27. Chapter 27

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Fíli and Kíli sat with Bilbo for much of the afternoon, telling the hobbit all that had been happening in Erebor as well as news of the Men of Dale and Lake-town, the Elves of Mirkwood, the dwarves of the Grey Mountains that had been visiting to help. They listened to news of the Shire and Bilbo's time in both Rivendell and on the road.

Bilbo was growing tired as the shadows lengthened in the afternoon and he was beginning to think he would need to ask the dwarves to leave when Fíli squinted at him and stood up.

"Kíli, I do believe it is time we returned to the inn for dinner."

Kíli gaped at his brother for a moment and then looked between the dwarf and the hobbit. Then he nodded. "Yes, I am feeling quite hungry and I want that steak and kidney pie for dinner."

"Will you visit again?" Bilbo asked, not wanting to lose them now that he had seen them again.

Fíli smiled at him broadly. "I believe we will be in the Shire for some time so we will come back. Not tomorrow, you should rest, but the day after? For lunch again?"

"Please," Bilbo said, looking at both dwarves.

"Before we go," Fíli said, putting his hand in his pocket and fiddling with something. "Uncle Thorin sent something."

Kíli closed his eyes and looked down. Bilbo knew that neither of them wanted to give him the letter and realised that whatever was in it, it could not be good.

"Thank you," Bilbo said quietly, holding his hand out for the letter.

Fíli placed it in his outstretched hand and smiled weakly. "We know that Violet said not to upset you but Thorin really wanted you to read this. He looked tired this morning as though he had not slept – writing instead perhaps."

"Violet said not to upset me?" Bilbo asked absentmindedly, thinking about Thorin staying up all night to write him a letter.

"She was very insistent," Kíli said, eyes wide.

"You are scared of her," Bilbo said with a huff of laughter.

"I am not ashamed of admitting to it." Kíli said. "She reminds me of Mother."

The brothers said their goodbyes and slipped out though Bilbo could not leave his bed. He lifted up the parchment and twisted it around and around in his hand.

Bilbo heart caught in his chest when he looked at his name written in Thorin's harsh writing – it was all sharp points and tight lines so much like Thorin and it made Bilbo chest twist. He knew he had to open it but he was apprehensive about what Thorin could have written and what he might be accusing Bilbo of now. Finally he sipped at his tea and slid a finger beneath the fold of the paper until it gave and he could straighten the thick parchment.

_Bilbo, _

_I have never been good at pretty speeches and kind words. Dís has often told me that I should learn to be more gentle but gentle would not have saved my dwarves so I am hard and strong and I did whatever I had to do to get them back to Erebor. I had not expected to ever need gentle words – I have never met a dwarf that captured my attention the way you have. I thought you too soft to be able to make it to Erebor with us, too soft to be a burglar against a dragon. You have proven me wrong many times and I did not have the faith in you that you deserved. You saved my life from the white orc when you could have left him to kill me without anyone thinking less of you. You have never been what I expected and you have surprised me many times since I knocked on the green door of Bag End and met you. _

_You never surprised me more than you did after we were rescued and left on the Carrock though I knew that what happened between us did not truly change anything because you wished for nothing more than to return to your Bag End and the Shire. I hoped that you might change your mind but I always knew that you would leave Erebor once it was reclaimed. I had not thought that you would leave in such a fashion – so swiftly and under such a negative shadow. I had planned to wish you well when you left, your pockets full of dwarfish gold and good memories of us all. I had no intention to ever let you leave disliking me so and once I was no longer influenced by the Arkenstone – a gem I asked Kíli to deliver to Lord Elrond of Rivendell once I realised the terrible power it held over my family – I wished to speak to you but you would not see me and then you were gone. I cannot say that I blame you for leaving but I have regretted that you left so displeased. _

_You are all softness, Bilbo Baggins of Bag End, and I have nothing but hardness. I have thought long about you and missed you terribly since you departed from Erebor. I have come to know that I would do anything to have you by my side and I should never have treated you the way that I did. I have wronged you more than once but what I truly wish is for you to rule beside me in Erebor, bathed in the gold and jewels that only my bonded could claim. My dwarves could have no better Royal Consort and I could have no one better to be with me for the rest of my days. Know that I am not one to speak of my feelings and it is costing me much to write to you now but I do love you, as I have since you offered yourself to me in the home of Beorn. I may never speak so openly to you again but know that there is nothing I would want more than you, and the children that you carry, to be with me always. _

_My mother, who died too young, would say that your softness tempers my hardness and that we were made for one another. I do not know if that is true but I have missed you greatly in every moment since you left my side and I do not want you to ever think that I have not regretted my actions before the battle. I should have listened to what you wanted to say to me – I saw later that you were trying to prevent a war that would have cost my dwarves heavily if it had have been fought. I cannot offer you any form of apology that would be enough to make up for the way that I treated you before the battle. _

_I would be honoured to try though._

_Yours, _

_Thorin_

Bilbo could not have stopped himself if his life depended on it. He turned into the pillow and cried. It was exactly what he had wished for but it was not enough. It was not enough that Thorin could write the words so passionately but could not tell him, could not open up to him in person. Bilbo had wanted Thorin to love him but the idea that he could not say it to him made him despair even more than he already had been.

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	28. Chapter 28

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The next time Fíli and Kíli visited Bilbo, Thorin walked most of the way with them and then settled in the garden with a pipe until he knew whether or not Bilbo would see him.

Bilbo was alone in his room – Violet visiting another expectant hobbit so there was no one on sentry duty. He was looking forward to the visit from Fíli and Kíli but he was worried that Thorin would accompany them after the letter they had delivered the previous visit. They arrived without anyone else though and Bilbo was not sure if he should be happy or melancholy that Thorin would not visit him.

Bilbo had not been able to think about anything else since the letter had been left. At times he would convince himself that it was enough and he should forgive Thorin for everything. Then Bilbo would remember the pain he had felt when Thorin had cast him out. Bilbo wanted to forgive Thorin because he wanted to be with the dwarf but he could not forgive him for treating him so poorly. He had struggled to eat and sleep as he could not stop thinking about Thorin's words. He had read the letter so many times that he would remember it until the end of his days. The creases in the paper were so worn that Bilbo was beginning to think that it would fall apart if he read it again. And the pain in his abdomen was getting even worse – now near constant and distracting Bilbo almost every minute. He could barely move without losing his breath and he did not know if it was because of Thorin or because the babies were growing again. Though they had stopped moving the night before and Bilbo had been able to get a small amount of rest.

"Bilbo," Fíli said brightly.

Bilbo smiled at the dwarves. "Good morning."

Fíli's smile thinned a fraction and his eyes swept over Bilbo. "Are you well, Bilbo?"

"I slept poorly," Bilbo explained.

"We can leave," Kíli offered.

"No," Bilbo said quickly, "please stay – I would appreciate the distraction."

Kíli nodded and pulled a chair closer to his bed. "We have something to tell you but perhaps we should not."

"Tell me."

"Uncle is outside. He did not want to come in if you did not want to see him."

Bilbo felt his entire body tighten at the thought. He knew he needed to see him though, to get it over with so that he would finally be able to relax. "Go and get him then."

"Are you sure?" Fíli asked.

Bilbo nodded even while nerves flew through his stomach.

As soon as Kíli was out of the room Bilbo pushed at the covers and grit his teeth against the pain to sit up in bed and swing his legs over the edge. He had to stop there, breathing slowly until the breathless light-headedness went away.

"Should you be moving?" Fíli asked.

"I need to stand up for Thorin," Bilbo explained.

"Why?" Thorin asked, forcing Bilbo to look up and stare at the dwarf standing in the doorway. He could not have possibly been moving for long enough for Kíli to get outside and back in with his uncle.

Bilbo did not want to answer. He did not want to show how weak he was to Thorin and he did not want Thorin to know.

When he had been silent for what felt like a long time Thorin took a step into the room. "You have read the letter?"

"I did."

"And…yet I have not heard from you."

"No."

"Then I believe I have my answer," Thorin said quietly.

Bilbo forced himself to stand and look at Thorin. "That is the problem."

"What?"

"You can write a lovely letter that makes me miss you more but you will not talk to me or show me that you mean it."

Fíli and Kíli looked at one another uncomfortably but neither of them moved.

Thorin frowned and stepped further into the room. "I wrote everything in that letter and you want more?"

"Do you believe I should forgive you when your actions contradict your written words?"

"What would you like me to do to prove my regret?"

"You wrote that you regretted your actions in Erebor and then you came here, to my home, and accused me of being involved with Dwalin when I was also with you. You did not learn from your mistakes and you made them worse."

Thorin looked both angry and frustrated as he stared at Bilbo. "When we were together I told you of my feelings."

"How?"

Thorin huffed out a sigh as he looked at his nephews, he would prefer to do this alone but he knew he could not ask them to leave if Bilbo was happy to have them here, then he turned back at Bilbo. "I told you that I wanted to bath you in jewels and sit you on a throne."

Bilbo was speechless. "Those were just pretty words while we were lying together."

Kíli huffed but it was Fíli who spoke. "Uncle Thorin does not have pretty words."

"They are right," Thorin said.

"And a dwarf never makes light of jewels," Kíli added.

Bilbo knew that. Dwarves were much too preoccupied by jewels and precious metals. Their love of jewels was the reason that Bilbo had been cast out of Erebor and that he had had his heart broken. "I am aware."

Kíli's face fell and he grimaced.

"I was making my intentions clear." Thorin explained.

"They were not clear to me," Bilbo responded.

"Why not?" Thorin asked. "Can you say you truly did not believe me?"

"I thought they were nice words said in passion. Words like that cannot always be listened to and you have proven that they were not the truth." Bilbo said sadly.

"They were the truth then and still are. All I ask is another chance to prove that to you." Thorin said, voice edging towards pleading.

"I do not know if you deserve it." Bilbo told him plainly.

"I bared myself to you in that letter."

"You cast me out for a gem!" Bilbo spat, his eyes stinging as he looked at the dwarf before him. "Nothing you can write will make me forgive that."

Thorin stared at him, anguish dawning over his face.

Bilbo turned away, putting his back to the dwarves, when Thorin's voice stopped him.

"Very well, Fíli, I renounce my throne to you. I shall stay here in the Shire with Bilbo and our children. Erebor is yours."

Bilbo spun around as quickly as he could and stared at Thorin. "What?" It took him a moment to realise that he was not the only one gaping at Thorin.

"I lived to reclaim Erebor for my people and my family. If my family is not in Erebor, then I do not intend to be there either."

Bilbo looked at Thorin in silent confusion until there was a sharp pain across his back, biting into his muscles so quickly that he doubled over with it. He felt hands gripping his shoulders, keeping him upright as the pain increased, tightening around his entire middle, clenching at his body until suddenly, like someone had let go, it receded more quickly than it had arrived.

"Bilbo?"

"Violet," Bilbo groaned out, clutching at Thorin's hand even though the pain had lessened.

"Dwalin!" Thorin bellowed and moments later the door to Bilbo's room slammed open and Dwalin stormed in. He turned and left almost immediately.

Thorin bent and lifted Bilbo into his arms, placing the hobbit gently on the bed. "Bilbo, what can I do?"

"I think it is time," Bilbo grunted, before the pain shot through him again and he gripped Thorin's hands tightly in his. He had heard tales of birthing pain but it seemed to be in every part of his body – including the tips of his hair. Then it released again, his round middle unclenching.

"Bilbo, is there anything I can get for you?" Thorin asked desperately.

Bilbo looked at the dwarf and could see the worry in his expression. He shook his head and tried to relax knowing that the next wave would be coming soon. He closed his eyes and breathed slowly remembering the information that Violet had been giving him about what would happen when he went into labour. He could feel Thorin's hand gripping his tightly but he could not bring himself to open his eyes as waves of tight, clenching pain washed over him in between moments when he was trying to catch his breath again waiting for the next one.

"Right," Violet said, walking into the bedroom. "Dwalin, put the towels down over there. Ori, the bowl will need to go on the other bedside table. What is happening, be specific?"

"He is in pain," Thorin explained.

Violet gave him a look.

"It is coming in waves," Bilbo explained. "Tightness and pain across my middle though it feels like it is everywhere. Then it releases though it is still uncomfortable."

"Then it is time." Violet agreed.

"It is too early," Bilbo said.

Violet shook her head. "It cannot be too early if they are coming."

"Are you sure?"

Violet smiled down at him. "Perhaps they are more dwarf than we though."

Bilbo relaxed back – they were half-dwarf and he had known they could come at any time.

Thorin squeezed his hand reassuringly. "It will be fine."

"What can I do to help?" Maklon asked.

Violet pointed Maklon towards the bowl and cloth. "Keep him as cool as possible and make sure he drinks." Maklon nodded and stepped up to Bilbo's free side.

"What can I do?" Thorin asked.

"I have not decided if you are to remain yet," Violet said.

"He can," Bilbo gasped out. "He is their father as well."

Thorin looked at Bilbo with pleased shock.

"Then you will sit up next to him and hold his hand." Violet turned to the rest of the dwarves. "Everyone else needs to leave."

"We will be in the sitting room if you need us." Ori said, pulling all of the other dwarves out of the room with him.

Bilbo was told to remain calm and relax while Violet moved around the room and got everything organised. He held onto Thorin's hand tightly as the waves of pain grew more steady and frequent. Bilbo lost track of time and he was wondering if it had been a long time or no time at all before he felt like something was pushing down roughly on his abdomen and all he wanted to do was push.

Violet told him to do just that and he tried but it felt as though nothing was happening. Things relaxed for a few breaths before Bilbo had no option but to push again. Time stretched out as he pushed and then relaxed and Bilbo grew more tired with every cycle until he began to think he would be able to fall asleep even through the pain. Then something actually seemed to be happening. The pain took his breath away as he held Thorin's hand tightly and pushed. And pushed. And pushed until with a great wave of relief he felt his body give and then he felt empty and done. The pressure and the pain was gone blessedly suddenly and he opened his eyes to look down to see Violet holding a dwobbit, covered in blood and white muck but with eyes open wide as Violet rubbed it clean. Moments later the dwobbit opened its mouth and let out a piercing, beautiful, reassuring wail.

"Is it a boy or girl?" Bilbo asked, not recognising his hoarse voice.

"A girl," Violet said, smiling up at him. "Healthy, with everything she should have. Looks quite a bit like a hobbit even if she does have dwarf ears."

Bilbo smiled and went completely boneless, sinking into the bed. "She is healthy."

"She is perfect," Thorin said.

Bilbo realised that Thorin was no longer holding his hand. The dwarf was standing next to Violet peering down at his daughter practically vibrating with the desire to touch. Bilbo smiled and watched while Violet handed her to Thorin.

"Take her up to Bilbo. It is important that he holds her and bonds with her before the next one comes."

"Next one…" Bilbo said weakly. "I do not think I can do that again."

Violet laughed at him. "Nonsense, you will do it again and all will be well."

Bilbo did not have time to argue as Thorin slowly and carefully placed their daughter into his arms. Thorin's hands lingered, fingers trailing over the soft, pale fuzz on their daughter's head.

"I was serious," Thorin said softly. "I do love you and I will give up my throne for you."

Bilbo was about to speak though he was beginning to think he should not believe his own ears when the tightness returned around his stomach and he froze as much as he could so he would not hurt his daughter.

"Bilbo?" Thorin asked.

"Take her please," Bilbo ground out as the constriction grew worse and he closed his eyes at the pain. "Why does it hurt more this time?"

"Never can tell with twins," Violet said. "Though they do generally come faster."

"Maklon," Thorin said, looking at the other dwarf, "come and take the babe. I can keep Bilbo cool and hold his hand."

The constriction eased and Bilbo had a moment to breathe and watch the reluctant way that Thorin handed the baby over. He smiled at the moment before his breath was stolen again. Violet had been right – it hurt more, his body already abused and aching before he began birthing his second child but it was quicker and the desire to push brought their child into the world much more swiftly than their older sister.

Bilbo collapsed happily into the bed as soon as he knew that he was done. He wanted to hold both of his children but he was not sure if the desire to do so was more or less strong than the desire to sleep.

"Is this one healthy?" Bilbo asked, looking at Thorin.

Thorin left his side to peer down at their other child, smaller than its sister but screaming just as competently.

"She is completely healthy though she has the ears of a hobbit unlike her sister."

"Two girls?" Bilbo smiled. "Let me see them."

Thorin nodded and he and Maklon brought both of the babes to Bilbo, tucking one on either side so that Bilbo could look down at them. Bilbo felt as though his heart would simply explode out of his chest looking down at them both. He was so tired he wished to sleep for a week and the odd pressure of labour had still not released from his abdomen but he would not have stopped looking down at his children for anything if he had not felt a sudden rush of wetness between his legs.

"What is that?" Bilbo asked, looking at Violet.

"Nothing to worry about, just your body dispelling the afterbirth," Violet said. "Thorin, take the babes, go out and show them off while Bilbo and I take care of the last part."

Bilbo did not want to let them go but he was beginning to think that he would have to push again and afterbirth did not sound nearly as pleasant as dwobbits so he gave their children to Thorin and watch both Maklon and Thorin slip from the room.

"What should I do?" Bilbo asked.

"You will want to push again when you feel you should though it will not be as dire as last time."

Bilbo nodded.

"Until then you should rest, it will happen quickly. Then we will clean you up and remake the bed ready for you to feed them and then sleep."

"I am going to forgive him," Bilbo said, thinking about Thorin.

"I know."

"I do believe him…or perhaps I only want to."

Violet sighed. "Childbirth is not normally a good time to make big decisions but I will tell you this. You have been waiting for him to come back to you since you arrived in the Shire. Do not let him get away without some more penance being paid but if you want him then you had best look to forgiving him."

"Thank you…" Bilbo paused and frowned when he felt the same overwhelming desire to push come over him again. It could not possibly be… "Violet, this feels just as bad as the babies…"

"It should not," Violet said, sitting next to him and feeling at his belly. "Oh."

"Oh? Is that bad?" Bilbo said, needing to push.

"I do believe we may have been mistaken."

"Mistaken?"

"You have another babe on the way, now hold onto the sheet and push just like last time."

Bilbo wanted to argue because he could not possibly be having another baby. He had heard stories of triplets but they were so rare, so completely rare to every race that it was not possible that he could be having three babies. But the desire to push was overwhelming him even as he refused to believe it. He reached up and gripped the headboard as he pushed and then suddenly there was another baby in Violet's arms – smaller than the others but healthy if Violet's smile was anything to go by.

"A son," Violet said, just as the baby let out an almighty wail.

"That is the end I hope," Bilbo said with a huff.

In the sitting room Thorin stood abruptly when he heard the sound of a baby's cry not coming from his children and turned immediately for Bilbo's room knowing that his daughters would be safe with Dwalin. He pushed open the door without a thought and then froze when he saw Violet holding another small baby, rubbing it its skin.

"What?" Thorin asked, looking to Bilbo and then back to Violet.

"I was misinformed," Bilbo said, looking a little awestruck. "I did not know."

"Another baby?" Thorin asked stupidly.

"Yes, a son," Violet said, coming up to place the baby in Bilbo's arms.

"I do not know what to do with two babies, what am I going to do with three of them?" Bilbo asked, looking up at Thorin with wide, scared eyes.

"We will learn," Thorin said.

Bilbo smiled at him weakly. "Thank you."

Thorin nodded. "Would you like me to fetch the girls?"

Bilbo shook his head. "We still have to deal with the afterbirth but I do not want to hand our son over to you just yet."

Thorin perched next to Bilbo on the bed and ran a finger along the baby's nose, eyebrows, and tiny bow mouth. "He is smaller than the girls though just as beautiful."

"He is."

"I warn you now that when I send Fíli and Kíli back to Erebor with news of these three my sister will descend on us immediately."

"You will not be going with them?" Bilbo asked, softly.

Thorin shook his head – wondering how long he would need to spend convincing Bilbo that he was completely serious and would never again leave him. "I said I would not – that I would stay here with you."

"Good, then when they are large enough to make the journey we can all go back to Erebor together."

Thorin could not believe his ears. "You will return to Erebor with me?"

"They are half hobbit and half dwarf and they should know both parts of their life. I will want to return here with them one day but when they are big enough we can take them to Erebor." Bilbo said, smiling encouragingly.

"I do not believe my ears," Thorin said slowly.

Their son gave a cry of displeasure and wriggled within Bilbo's arms.

"It is the truth," Bilbo said trying to settle the boy.

"He is hungry," Violet said. "They all will be. Bring them back in and we will attempt to feed them before the afterbirth comes."

Thorin nodded and left the room, turning to look back at Bilbo happily. He went into the sitting room with a broad grin on his face to collect his children.

"Uncle Thorin?" Fíli asked.

"A son…I have a son as well. Now, I need to take the girls in to Bilbo."

"Three babies?" Maklon asked. "At once? That is highly rare."

"Perhaps not for a hobbit," Kíli suggested.

"It is rare for them too," Thorin said. "But, I have three children when I had none a week ago so Mahal has truly blessed me."

"He has," Dwalin agreed, coming over and clapping his king on the shoulder. "Congratulations."

Thorin pulled Dwalin into a happy hug. "I can only hope you are as blessed too, Dwalin."

"Thank you." Dwalin said, turning back to look at Ori.

Thorin took his daughters back into Bilbo's room and they fed before settling all together in the bed that Dwalin had built for them. Bilbo was cleaned up and the bed remade. The hobbit was asleep before Thorin had time to pull the blankets up over him. Thorin himself settled in a chair between his hobbit and his children for the night.

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	29. Chapter 29

-)(-)(- Epilogue -)(-)(-

A month after the birth of the dwobbits Dwalin and Ori left the Shire for Erebor with the rest of the dwarfish party – except for Thorin who had remained within Bag End since the night of his children's birth and would remain there until Bilbo and the dwobbits would travel with him.

A day after receiving the news of her nieces and nephew Dís had organised Balin to assist Fíli in ruling and was readying herself to travel to the Shire. She arrived to find her brother sitting beneath a tree while three babies lay in front of him on a soft blanket. Bilbo was in the bare garden turning the soil over and talking about planning carrots with Thorin. She was utterly taken with her nieces – the oldest, Amana, bright eyed and obviously taking after her brother with his round ears and dark hair. The middle child, and youngest daughter, Líanah, taking after Bilbo with her little pointed ears and much more delicate features. Both of the girls were smooth faced and Dís wondered if that would ever change. The youngest, her nephew, Thíran, was the smallest of the three but quite lovely with thick dark hair and gentle hobbit features. Dís stayed in the Shire for three months, getting to know the new members of her family. She did not want to leave them but she had to return to Thorin's mountain and make sure that it would still be there when Thorin returned.

It took Thorin and Bilbo over three years to be ready to make the journey back to Erebor with their children. They left Bag End locked up with impenetrable dwarfish locks to keep the Sackville-Baggins out and made the long journey slowly.

When they arrived in Erebor there were parties for over a week in celebration of Thorin's return, their bonding ceremony and the three dwobbits that were new to the mountain.

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This is the first time I have been late with a big bang and I'm very disappointed in myself.  
Regardless, thank you all so much for the amazing support and feedback and kudos. I really appreciate it all. SO VERY MUCH!


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